Conclusion

Medicine, both ancient and medieval, found its roots in the only philosophical structure available to physicians of past ages. The intellectuals of these times were polymaths. They immersed themselves in all sciences then known. Both astronomy and medicine had their beginnings in prehistory. The oldest written records we know of come from Sumer (present day Iraq) where written language was first developed. ¹ Undoubtedly, primitive astronomy and medicine antedate the written word, but Sumerian clay tablets give the first definite evidence of these two disciplines. Medical therapy began as a branch of botany. Herbal, along with animal and chemical therapies, were the mainstay of healing. Oftentimes, these were blended with magic and religion but the first glimmer of anything approaching medicine, as we think of it today, was discovered in a Sumerian herbal handbook. ²