Medicine - реферат

Medicine is the field of applied science which has become one of the most important necessities in up-to-date world. The word “medicine” has a Latin origin. It means “the art of healing”. Indeed, it is the branch of science that helps to treat the diseases. It also includes the diagnosis and possible prevention. Today, medicine is not only the health science branch, but the sector of public life. Millions of people every day visit doctors to maintain their health. The treatment they receive depends on the disease and its complications. For example, some people simply diet to recover, some – exercise, some – take prescribed drugs and in more complicated cases surgery is required. There are different types of medicine. The most frequently practiced ones are conventional and herbal medicine.

Conventional medicine has long been practiced. It’s a system in which health professionals use drugs to treat symptoms and or diseases. Radiation and surgery are also used in conventional medicine. This type of medicine excludes homeopathy, acupuncture and aromatherapy. According to many scientists it’s the most appropriate system of medical care.

Herbal medicine or herbalism relies on different types of plants, including plant seeds, roots, berries, tree leaves and bark, flowers, etc. This type of medicine is becoming more mainstream and up-to-date. Numerous researches show that herbs can fully cure or prevent certain diseases, such as cough, sore throat, tooth ache, migraine, fever, arthritis, eczema, asthma and many others.

Compared with previous centuries, modern medicine has made a great progress. While in ancient times only herbalism was used to treat people and other living organisms, Middle Ages introduced some public hospitals. The father of medicine was the great philosopher and physician Hippocrates. Modern times were characterized by the separation of veterinary medicine from the human one. A major change in the field of medicine was brought by Alexander Fleming. It was him, who discovered penicillin and started the era of modern antibiotics. Since recent times pharmacology has become increasingly sophisticated. While in the past outbreaks of such diseases like cholera or plague led to death, today most infectious diseases and epidemics can be cured.