Plagues, Potions, and Physicians: Healthcare in Ancient Times

Join our time-travelling host as he explores ancient medical practices from bloodletting to trepanation. We visit mystical Egyptian healers, China's pioneering surgeons, Ayurvedic medicine in India, and Greek physicians like Hippocrates. We also uncover wild historical anecdotes, like the Egyptian doctor who pioneered sutures and the Chinese anesthetist who perfected magical sleeping potions. This raucous journey reveals how early shamans, herbalists, and philosophers developed the foundations of medicine. Though practices like drinking mercury elixirs were ill-advised, ancient knowledge paved the way for anatomy, pharmacy, and modern healthcare. Listen in for the highlights and low points of healing from antiquity!

This podcast was generated with the help of artificial intelligence.

Music credit: “Renaissance” by Audionautix