GCSE History | Medicine in Prehistory and the Ancient World

History Quiz - Medicine: Prehistoric Times And The Ancient World (Questions)

In GCSE History students will look at the world of medicine and the advancements that have been made over time. One period they will look at is from prehistory to the Ancient World.

This era covers a vast section of time, from poorly documented prehistory, through Ancient Egypt to Greece and Rome. There were considerable advances in the world of medicine during this period, not least in public health and hygiene.

Learn more about medicine in prehistory and the Ancient world in this eye-opening quiz.

In prehistoric times a form of treatment called trepanning was used. What did this involve?

[ ]	Cutting a wide round hole in the skull, usually at the top
[ ]	Making a small incision in the temple in order to bleed the skull cavity
[ ]	Cutting vertically down the middle of the rib cage in order to observe the workings of the heart and the lungs
[ ]	Cutting off the exterior of the nose to search for "humours"

Where is the evidence to be found for Egyptian medical practice?

[ ]	Inscriptions on stone within burial chambers
[ ]	Writing found on cloth in tombs
[ ]	Information from Ancient Greek sources, based on finds at Alexandria
[ ]	Information brought out of Egypt by traders like the Phoenicians

The Ancient Egyptians were admired for their hygiene. Which of the following practices was not used widely by them?

[ ]	Mosquito nets
[ ]	Frequent changes of clothing
[ ]	Shaving of heads
[ ]	Bathing in asses' milk

Followers of the Greek god of healing, Asklepios, frequented temples where his presence could be felt. Which of the following sites did not hold a temple to this god?

[ ]	Epidaurus
[ ]	Pergamum
[ ]	Kos
[ ]	Delphi

The Greeks believed that four "humours" existed in the human body, ideally in a state of equilibrium. One of these was "phlegm". What would be a more modern word for this substance?

[ ]	Bile
[ ]	Mucus
[ ]	Saliva
[ ]	Seminal fluid

Alexandria, in Egypt, became a centre for medicine which attracted many Greek investigators. What was the main reason for its popularity?

[ ]	It was a cosmopolitan community, and many people there were interested in medical research
[ ]	It was easy to reach by sea from surrounding areas
[ ]	Human dissection was allowed here - Alexandria was one of the few places where this was so
[ ]	The nearby Nile Valley was a useful place to conduct investigations into malaria

Julius Caesar issued a decree in 46 BC giving doctors a special status. What was this?

[ ]	They were given noble status and made patricians
[ ]	They were made Roman citizens
[ ]	They were assured of a minimum rate of pay, that would give them a high standard of living
[ ]	They were allowed to practise medicine unhindered

The Romans were keen to have a clean water supply, and to be able to transport it where it was needed. What structures did they build in order to ensure this?

[ ]	Viaducts
[ ]	Aqueducts
[ ]	Cloaca
[ ]	Caldaria

At Pergamum, Galen found plenty of wounds to attend to. How had these victims sustained their injuries?

[ ]	As soldiers in the Roman legions
[ ]	As mercenaries in foreign armies
[ ]	As members of criminal gangs fighting their rivals
[ ]	As gladiators, in combat either against each other or against wild beasts

10.

Galen was not allowed to dissect humans in Greece, so what animals did he use for this purpose?

[ ]	Barbary apes
[ ]	Wild boar
[ ]	Sheep
[ ]	Wild goats

History Quiz - Medicine: Prehistoric Times And The Ancient World (Answers)

In prehistoric times a form of treatment called trepanning was used. What did this involve?

[x]	Cutting a wide round hole in the skull, usually at the top
[ ]	Making a small incision in the temple in order to bleed the skull cavity
[ ]	Cutting vertically down the middle of the rib cage in order to observe the workings of the heart and the lungs
[ ]	Cutting off the exterior of the nose to search for "humours"

This is a mysterious procedure, about which we know only from human remains. But what its purpose was can only be guessed

Where is the evidence to be found for Egyptian medical practice?

[x]	Inscriptions on stone within burial chambers
[ ]	Writing found on cloth in tombs
[ ]	Information from Ancient Greek sources, based on finds at Alexandria
[ ]	Information brought out of Egypt by traders like the Phoenicians

The information is purely visual, and therefore hard to decipher

The Ancient Egyptians were admired for their hygiene. Which of the following practices was not used widely by them?

[ ]	Mosquito nets
[ ]	Frequent changes of clothing
[ ]	Shaving of heads
[x]	Bathing in asses' milk

Historians have been impressed by the high standard of Ancient Egyptian hygiene

Followers of the Greek god of healing, Asklepios, frequented temples where his presence could be felt. Which of the following sites did not hold a temple to this god?

[ ]	Epidaurus
[ ]	Pergamum
[ ]	Kos
[x]	Delphi

It was believed that the god would visit the faithful, while they were asleep at the shrine

The Greeks believed that four "humours" existed in the human body, ideally in a state of equilibrium. One of these was "phlegm". What would be a more modern word for this substance?

[ ]	Bile
[x]	Mucus
[ ]	Saliva
[ ]	Seminal fluid

It was thought that if an imbalance were to develop among the humours, then illness was not far away

Alexandria, in Egypt, became a centre for medicine which attracted many Greek investigators. What was the main reason for its popularity?

[ ]	It was a cosmopolitan community, and many people there were interested in medical research
[ ]	It was easy to reach by sea from surrounding areas
[x]	Human dissection was allowed here - Alexandria was one of the few places where this was so
[ ]	The nearby Nile Valley was a useful place to conduct investigations into malaria

Alexandria was in Egypt, but it was also a window onto a wider world

Julius Caesar issued a decree in 46 BC giving doctors a special status. What was this?

[ ]	They were given noble status and made patricians
[x]	They were made Roman citizens
[ ]	They were assured of a minimum rate of pay, that would give them a high standard of living
[ ]	They were allowed to practise medicine unhindered

Rome was keen to attract medics, and to keep them

The Romans were keen to have a clean water supply, and to be able to transport it where it was needed. What structures did they build in order to ensure this?

[ ]	Viaducts
[x]	Aqueducts
[ ]	Cloaca
[ ]	Caldaria

Many of these are still standing: monuments to Roman engineering and plumbing

At Pergamum, Galen found plenty of wounds to attend to. How had these victims sustained their injuries?

[ ]	As soldiers in the Roman legions
[ ]	As mercenaries in foreign armies
[ ]	As members of criminal gangs fighting their rivals
[x]	As gladiators, in combat either against each other or against wild beasts

Galen thrived on wounds: he believed, for example, in pepper being sprayed on cold things and cucumber being used on hot things

10.

Galen was not allowed to dissect humans in Greece, so what animals did he use for this purpose?

[x]	Barbary apes
[ ]	Wild boar
[ ]	Sheep
[ ]	Wild goats

Galen maintained that the animals that he slaughtered were as good as humans - they had a very similar body structure