Historical Contributions to Medicine

Which statement accurately describes a core principle of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)?

• Humans are composed of four elements: fire, earth, air, and water.

• Health is maintained by balancing Yin and Yang forces within the body.

• Disease is primarily caused by external spiritual forces.

• Treatments focus solely on surgical interventions.

What is a key aspect of Ayurveda, the science of life?

• Ayurveda is a science of life that includes preventing disease and influencing hygiene and diet.

• Ayurveda focuses exclusively on treating diseases through surgical procedures.

• Ayurveda teaches that health is determined solely by the alignment of celestial bodies.

• Ayurveda's primary goal is to memorize hundreds of named body parts without practical application.

In the context of ancient Western medicine's humoral theory, what causes illness?

• Illness is caused by an excess of only one specific humor, black bile.

• The four bodily humors are blood, phlegm, and two types of water.

• Treatment for illness involves increasing the amount of all humors in the body.

• Illness is an imbalance in the four bodily humors, and treatment aims to restore balance.

What was a significant contribution of Hippocrates to medicine?

• Hippocrates believed that health was directly controlled by the will of the gods.

• Hippocratic medicine relied heavily on mathematical calculations for diagnosis.

• Hippocrates emphasized reason, observation, and the influence of diet and environment on health.

• The Hippocratic Oath primarily focused on performing complex surgical procedures.

What was a significant limitation in Galen's study of human anatomy?

• Lack of access to ancient Greek texts.

• Inability to perform human dissections.

• Limited understanding of the circulatory system.

• Refusal to acknowledge Hippocrates' theories.

Which of the following was a notable contribution by Al-Razi to medicine?

• Inventing the first microscope.

• Discovering penicillin.

• Distinguishing smallpox and measles as separate diseases.

• Developing the theory of humors.

How did medical students primarily learn during the period of Scholasticism?

• Through direct experimentation and observation.

• By dissecting human cadavers.

• Through close readings of approved texts and their annotations.

• By traveling to different cities to learn from various physicians.

What was the name of Ibn Sina's highly influential medical textbook?

• The Book of Healing

• The Canon of Medicine

• The Virtuous Life

• The Comprehensive Book on Medicine