Medicine through the Ages: From Acupuncture to Antibiotics

“In medical knowledge the Egyptian leaves the rest of the world behind.” –Homer, Greek poet

“I swear by Apollo the physician . . . and all the gods and goddesses, and call them to witness that . . . I will prescribe treatments to the best of my ability and judgement for the good of the sick, and never for a harmful or illicit purpose.”—Hippocratic oath excerpt, ca. 500s BCE

Modern humans have been around for about 300,000 years, and medical technology grew alongside them. Ancient civilization...