Download Roman public health, the impact - presentation

 starter activity
Explain the
connection of the
words with public
health and whether
it was positive or
negative
How important were
the Romans?
 LOs
TBAT to give arguments for & against
the idea that Roman improved public
health in Britain
To compare Roman & Greek public
health
 Your task
Why did health & medicine improve under the Romans? Try to think of 5
reasons. Use the pictures to help you.  How did they hinder medicine?
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Roman army needed a high standard of medicine and
health
Doctors like Galen introduced or developed new
techniques
Technology like aqueducts & sewers improved public
health
Continued to use & record traditional herbal remedies
Study of anatomy advanced, e.g. Galen’s experiments
on pigs
 Your task
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Divide half your page in two. On one side write ‘Public
health improvements’ and on the other ‘Weaknesses of
public health’. Study the information on p.42-3 and
complete your table.
 How important were these factors in helping /
hindering the development of public health in Ancient
times:
War
Religion
Government
Improvements
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Channels & pipes – Dorchester 8 miles long,
Wroxeter received 2m gallons per day
Public baths – Lincoln, 5000 people per week
Weaknesses of public health
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Public health - only good in towns & cities
Public baths – unhygienic, changed once a week,
demolished before end of Roman Empire
Water tanks - housewives carried water from
public tanks
Sewers - built close to surface
Regular outbreaks of disease – Galen’s Plague
(AD160)
Water supplies – rarely went to private homes
 Exam practice

Section B, Qb: ‘Compare public health in
Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. In which
period was there more improvement in public
health?’
Timing: spend roughly 15 minutes on this question
Level 1
Level 2
Describes public health
in Ancient Greece and
/ or Ancient Rome,
e.g. in Ancient Greece
governments did not
care about public
health
Makes a simple
comparison, e.g.
whereas in Ancient
Greece public health
was very limited, e.g.
public lavatories were
rare, in Ancient Rome
the government took
more care over public
health, e.g. there were
many aqueducts and
fountains
Level 3
Detailed comparison with good technical
vocabulary.
Public health was limited in Ancient Greece.
Most city authorities expected people to look
after their own sanitation. The wealthiest could
afford to use the facilities at the Asclepions
where they could bath in the tholos, rest in the
abaton and exercise in the gymnasium.
By comparison in Roman times, because it was
important to look after the army, features such as
public baths, fountains and latrines were
common. The army played a vital part in
protecting the empire and so forts had hospitals
with specialist doctors. Reservoirs stored water
and lead or wooden pipes carried it into towns.
Doctors like Galen stressed the importance of a
more natural approach to health & the treatment
of disease and so outbreaks of plague, like
Galen’s Disease in AD160 could be identified
more effectively in towns and cities
 Plenary
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Key advances in public health
Evidence that public health was not as effective
as first imagined
Tips on how to hit level 3?
Which time period saw the greatest advances
in public health in ancient times?