Overview

Today's hospitals and facilities for medical treatment have a history that dates back to the Roman Empire, when military hospitals were organized to treat and repair the critically important Roman Army. Perhaps the most rudimentary form of the hospital prior to this were the healing temples of ancient Greece. Healing temples were sacred sites created for the sick to receive divine aid. They were often associated with public baths and spa-type facilities whose priest-physicians administered rituals of healing, massage, and herbal medicines. Overall, Greek medicine combined a philosophy of proper living, with regular exercise, proper diet, and massage, augmented by herbal drugs and regular visits to a healing temple for ritual devotions and tribute. Physicians, surgeons, and other specialists would typically provide specific treatments including surgeries and amputations at the home of the...