The origin of medicine goes back practically to the very appearance of human beings. Already in the Neolithic period, different pathologies such as arthritis or achondroplasia have been detected, and there are clear signs that trepanations were already being performed at this time. However, we will begin our review of the main advances in medicine and the history of medicine since ancient Mesopotamia.
The origin of medicine and its further development
About 6,000 years ago the first human civilizations flourished between the Tigris and the Euphrates, in Mesopotamia there was already a great knowledge of medicine, in fact in the Code of Hammurabi there is already a very intense reference to the praxis of physicians and their ways of healing. Basically, disease was seen as a punishment from the Gods for an impure action, and their methods had more to do with animism than with science itself.
The first truly scientific methods began to develop in the Egyptian civilization, Herodotus even wrote that in Ancient Egypt there was a physician for every disease. It is true that the Egyptians still had a theological view of disease, however they were the ones who began to look for scientific explanations to the symptoms establishing the origin of medicine.
Greek and Roman medicines were a great impulse for humanity, in fact during these centuries lived some of the most famous doctors in history. The humors of Hippocrates or the theories of Galen of Pergamon served as the basis of Western medicine for more than a thousand years.
Medieval medicine fought minor ailments with varying degrees of success and tried to lessen chronic illnesses, but they could do little against the great epidemics that ravaged humanity during those years. Like other aspects of culture, medicine suffered a great backwardness during the almost ten centuries of the Middle Ages. In these centuries it was the Arab scientists who revolutionized medicine with novelties such as alcohol cures, and names such as Avicenna, who generalized medicine. Muslim expansion allowed many of these advances to reach the West.
The 17th century and the Enlightenment brought great advances and began to democratize medicinal science, in addition to ordering systems, so that doctors had different methods to ensure their treatments. The nineteenth and twentieth centuries have seen the revolution of medical tools, thanks to technological development it has been possible to treat different ailments with absolute reliability and providing appropriate treatments for each case.
History of CBD
CBD oil (cannabidiol) is obtained from hemp. Many people confuse hemp with marijuana, but hemp is a very different plant. Marijuana and hemp may share the same scientific name, Cannabis sativa, but they are not the same.
Marijuana is grown primarily for its psychoactive cannabinoid, a chemical compound called tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, for recreational and medicinal use. Marijuana contains both THC and CBD.
Hemp contains only a trace of THC, less than 0.3%, compared to the high of 5-35% in marijuana. The main cannabinoid in hemp is CBD, but there are over 100 other cannabinoids in hemp, as well as compounds that produce flavors and aromas called terpenes (e.g., the citrus scent of oranges, the unique aroma of pine trees, or the sweet flowery smell of lavender).
For thousands of years, hemp has been cultivated for food, clothing, fiber and fuel. It is one of the oldest domesticated crops in the world. In the early days, hemp was a vital crop in the U.S. During the 18th century, colonial farmers grew it primarily for its strong fiber.
However, hemp production came to a halt when the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 was passed. The attitude of the majority of the population toward cannabis began to lean largely negative. Hemp became the “weed” because it shares the same species as marijuana, although it does not contain the abundant THC of marijuana.
Over the years, many have speculated that the real reason for the anti-cannabis campaign boiled down to concern that hemp could become a low-cost substitute for pulp. U.S. industrialist William Randolph Hearst and the DuPont family had significant investments in the lumber and newspaper industries. They launched a smear campaign to destroy the lucrative hemp market for fear that the hemp boom would erode their profits. Years later, however, it was learned that hemp does not contain a high enough concentration of cellulose to be an effective substitute for paper.
Eighty long years later, hemp finally regained its legal status in the United States following the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill. Hemp, defined as cannabis with less than 0.3% THC, comes off Schedule I controlled substances. Hemp-derived products are legal as long as they come from licensed hemp growers. More and more universities and hospitals have begun to study it. Americans can now legally consume CBD. It can be ordered online and shipped to all 50 states.
Marijuana laws are also changing at a rapid pace across America. Although it remains illegal at the federal level, many states have legalized marijuana. In the remaining states, some have allowed it for medical use and others for recreational use.