I chose On the Sacred Disease by Hippocrates, and The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Medicine to show how differences in religious culture can radically affect medical concepts. Although the Hellenic Greeks and the Chinese during the Zhou Dynasty are living in the same time frame, they have drastically different lifestyles. The Chinese place much of their emphasis on living in balance with nature, and being sure not to disrupt the Yin and Yang of their everyday lives. On the contrary, the Hellenic Greeks focus on their physical world, as this is the basis for their philosophy and medicine. Exploring medical texts from two civilizations in the same time period can reveal how religious beliefs altar scientific theories.
             In On the Sacred Disease, Hippocrates criticizes the belief that epilepsy, and other diseases, are caused by spirits and mythical forces. In his age of medicine, many regarded epilepsy to be a "sacred" disease. Arguing that many other diseases are inexplicable, he questions why they are not considered sacred as well. He mocks the doctors who perform superstitious cures, calling them "magicians and quacks." When their rituals work, they take credit. However, when they don't, he says, they simply blame it on the gods. Listing many examples, he shows how hypocritical these doctors can be with their rationalizations of physical disease. Instead of looking to the gods for answers to medical questions, he explains that there are simple, physical reasons for why people get sick. He also provides straightforward solutions to many ailments. And although they may seem ridiculous in comparison to modern advancements, Hippocrates' ideas are one of the first that put emphasis on physical solutions, rather than spiritual.
             Hippocrates lived during the Hellenistic period of Greek history, and his beliefs that stressed careful observation in science set the standards for hundreds of ...