ΑΡΘΡΑ
Henry Jakubowski
Professor of BioChemistry,
Saint Benedict Saint John’s University
Despina Iosif
Adjunct Professor, Ancient History and Religion,
Hellenic Open University and College Year in Athens
Περίληψη: Ο Γαληνός είναι ο μοναδικός θεραπευτής της δυτικής ιατρικής που γνώρισε τόση απήχηση. Αν και οι βάσεις των ιατρικών απόψεών του και των θεραπειών του μεταμορφώθηκαν σε ένα πιο επιστημονικό και μηχανιστικό ύφος βασισμένο στην ανατομία, τη φυσιολογία, τις λοίμωξεις και τις μοριακές αλληλεπιδράσεις, ωστόσο συνέχισαν να διατηρούν την κυριαρχία τους μέχρι σήμερα. Θα διερευνήσουμε τη ζωή και την ιατρική του Γαληνού και στη συνέχεια θα δείξουμε πώς οι ιδέες αυτού του ανθρώπου ήταν συνεπείς και ότι μπορούν ακόμα να συμβάλουν σημαντικά στην ανακούφιση του ανθρώπινου πόνου.
Summary: Based on his voluminous writings and the number of centuries that medical healers adopted his healing canon, Galen Aelius Galenus (Claudius Galenus, or more simply Galen as he became known across time and geography) was probably the single most influential medical healer in Western medicine of all time. Although the bases of his medical views and treatments were transformed by those derived from a more scientific and mechanistic foundation based on anatomy, physiology, infection and molecular interactions, they continued to hold sway until recent times. That they did speaks to the complexity of the healing arts, which should encompass both the curing of diseases as well as the relief of human suffering. Both are still significant challenges to modern medicine. We will explore Galen’s life and medicine, and then show how the ideas of this man are consistent with and can still illuminate evolving paradigms for explaining and treating disease, illness and relieving human suffering.