How did the ancient Greeks treat cancer?
Unfortunately, there are many types of cancer and each has its own treatment, but the only thing they have in common is that most people think they are caused by modern lifestyles.
But cancer is a disease that has been around since ancient times and has been treated differently in every part of the world.
Hippocrates was the first to give the disease a name, comparing the tumors to crabs, and according to scientific sources, a type of cancer was found that affected the bones, osteosarcoma, which affected the bones of the head and neck of mummies from ancient Egypt.
In addition, cancer is referred to a papyrus of ancient Egypt from 1600 BC that lists eight types of tumors in the chest that were cured by cauterization. Yet cancer is reported to have been incurable, while it was the punishment of the gods for the wicked and sinners. But the first to record cancer as a disease was Hippocrates in his writings. He even described in his writings the symptoms of breast cancer that his female patients had.
As for the treatments he gave to the sick, they were recipes such as bitter cucumber juice, which helped with cancer of the digestive system, pumpkin or fig mixed with honey and water, for external use against cancer of the uterus.
Other historical sources regarding the occurrence and treatment of cancer, refer to the writings of Herodotus, who reports that Atossa, the mother of Darius, King of Persia, suffered from breast cancer and was cured by the Greek physician Democides, who worked for the Persian palace.
As for the types of cancer, the ancient Greeks distinguished them into "hidden" and "open," "deep" and "superficial" etc., and claimed that they all came from "black bile". In fact, the idea reached as far back as the Roman Age, which was adopted and spread by the famous physician Galinos.
Galinos was the first to introduce the term "tumor" and its introduction into official medical terminology, explaining the weight and burden borne by the body through the occurrence of cancer.
Of particular interest, however, are the treatments for cancer based on some of the herbs that were used.
In the event that treatment with medicines failed, ancient Greek physicians resorted to surgery. Of course, Galinos suggested surgery only for "superficial" cancers. Before that, the appropriate drugs were administered and then the tumor was removed with a kind of hot tool to avoid bleeding.
Also, another way of treating cancer, always according to Hippocrates, was the use of vaginal tools, which he smeared with various herbs and inserted into the vagina of the patient.
In fact, the heat of the tools had soothing properties as it reduced the pain. Other sources make it clear that Hippocrates used metal objects to dilate the cervix.
Unfortunately, cancer is a disease that has plagued mankind since ancient times, and all of the above are proof of that.