Free Republic

There's no question that today's modern culture is very different from that of ancient Rome, but certain human realities remain consistent across time. The challenges of illness and injury were as prevalent in the Roman Empire as they are in today's society, and the concern with medicine and health is something modern people have in common with ancient Romans. BAS Director of Educational Programs Sarah Yeomans's doctoral research is concerned with Roman medical technology, medical cult and the impact of plague on Roman society. Recently, she gave a lecture on these subjects at the prestigious Explorers Club in New York...

Roman ruins cast new light on a trip to doctor By Anthea Gerrie in Rimini Last Updated: 2:11am GMT 09/12/2007 An ancient doctor's surgery unearthed by Italian archaeologists has cast new light on what a trip to the doctor would have been like in Roman times. Far from crude, the medical implements discovered show that doctors, their surgeries and the ailments they treated have changed surprisingly little in 1,800 years. A physician on a house call kneels to tend the hero Aeneas in this fresco from Pompeii Sore joints were common, patients were often told to change their diets, and...