Ancient Greek , Roman , and Egyptian medicine formed the foundation for modern western medicine and public health , as their practices and approach continue to influence medicine today .
In 700 BCE , one of the oldest medical schools was established in
Cnidus . By observing ill patients and performing physical examinations , doctors identified causes and cures of diseases . They believed that health relied on the balance of the
four humors : blood , phlegm , yellow bile , and black bile . Each was associated with an element , season , temper , and organ . Another staple of ancient Greek medicine , the
Hippocratic oath , which physicians even today swear to uphold , combines Greek mythology and cultural intellectual approaches , originally starting with “ I swear by Apollo the physician , and Aesculapius the surgeon , likewise Hygeia and Panacea , and call all the gods and goddesses to witness , that I will observe and keep this underwritten oath , to the utmost of my power and judgment .”
Ancient Roman medicine has its roots in ancient Greek medicine .
Galen and other Greek doctors like
Archagathus spread Greek ideas about medicine to the Roman Empire . Similar to the Greeks , injuries from military activity and sports