Odyssey Magazine Issue 4, 2015 | Page 45

endocrine or the nervous systems. Nevertheless, their applies biomedical sciences, biomedical research, genetics empirical observations greatly improved medical practice and medical technology to diagnose, treat, and prevent and through their writings were able to profoundly injury and disease, typically through pharmaceuticals or codify treatments. Their approach lasted until the next surgery. Scientific medicine, also (somewhat erroneously) development, scientific medicine. called evidence-based medicine (EBM), is highly developed Limits to empiricism in the Western world due to its reliance on the scientific method. Like all systems of knowledge, empirical medicine has The scientific method is an ongoing process, which limitations. So, for example, medical observations are usually begins with observations about the natural world only guided by the skill of the individual practitioner – and is a body of techniques for investigating phenomena, there is no external monitoring of process. Everything is acquiring new knowledge, or correcting and integrating dependant on 'expert opinion' and there are no objective previous knowledge. To be termed scientific, a method processes to test the assumption or claims made by these of inquiry is commonly based on empirical or measurable experts. There was also no formal pharmacology. evidence subject to specific principles of reasoning. The Scientific Medicine Oxford English Dictionary defines the scientific method as 'a method or procedure that has characterised natural The terms scientific medicine, allopathic medicine, science since the 17th century, consisting of systematic biomedicine, conventional medicine, orthodox medicine, observation, measurement, and experiment, and the and Western medicine all refer to what in English formulation, testing, and modification of hypotheses'. is usually simply called medicine. Scientific medicine A hypothesis is a conjecture, based on knowledge developed from but goes beyond empiricism. One of the obtained while formulating the question. The hypothesis breakthroughs was the germ theory, which was proposed might be very specific or it might be broad. Scientists in the mid-16th century and gained widespread credence then test hypotheses by conducting experiments. The when substantiated by scientific discoveries of the overall process of the scientific method involves making 17th through the late 19th century. It supplanted earlier conjectures (hypotheses), deriving predictions from explanations for disease, such as Galen's humeral theory them as logical consequences, and then carrying out or the TCM theory of qi/chi. Contemporary medicine experiments based on those predictions. The scientific ODYSSEY 45 •  DIGIMAG