Even though the Incans had no written language, they were somehow able to have fairly advanced medical knowledge.
The Incans had three kinds of doctors for three different purposes: the Watukk, the Hanpeq, and the Paqo. The job of the Watukk was to discover the origin of the illness. The Watukk researched the life of the sick person, trailing their pathological, physical, and emotional stage. The Watukk gave the diagnosis.
The job of the Hanpeq was to cure the patient using his knowledge of minerals, herbs, and disease. The Hanpeq was like a "medicine man", or what we might call a "shaman" today. He also employed his religious and mystical powers to restore the patient.
The Paqo was charged with ministering to the soul of the patient, which the Incans believed resided in the heart. His job was to moniter the recovery of the patient and harmonize the spiritual and physical reaction.
The Incans even had a medical school, which could last for three to five years. It was a rigorous program comprised of an education in mineral properties, herbs, diagnoses, quantities and types of cures, and how to treat illnesses. Even after completing the course, one would have to spend many years practicing before they could be considered a doctor.
The Incans were able to treat a suprising array of illnesses and injuries, including respiratory disorders, urinary tract infections, sexual performance problems, digestive system problems, depression, mental illness, dementia, madness, and hysteria. The survival rate of their skull surgery was a remarkable 90%!
When researching about Inca Medicine, I came across a site that talked about the healing arts of the Inca. There are three different levels in which a medicine man is trained: Pampamisa, Chaupimisa, and Hananhamisayoc. When at the level of a Pampamisa, one learns to become in touch with nature, recognize the different healing properties of plants, and be able to speak and listen to them. As a Chaupimisa, one is able to understand and connect with Mother Nature and travel through sacred mountains with strong healing energies. And finally, as a Hananhamisayoc, one is able to perform great feats of magic and miracles using herbs, sacred sound, and ceremonies.
Even though the Inca did not have a written language, they were able to do amazing things in the field of medical science.
It's amazing to think that they could remember, or know so much about the body to be able to recognize different types of diseases and know how to treat them. It seems like if you already knew how to do all those things, then it would make sense that there wouldn't be a need to create written system to record it. My chorus director did say today though that "the shortest pencil is better than the longest memory." I wonder if, not having a written system and wanting to refer to it all the time, they were actually able to experiment more. Probably, that would have killed more people than just sharing how to do a procedure, but it would also allow for more insight into how to cure or treat certain diseases.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting facts, especially the one about 90% skull surgery recovery. Makes me wonder if they had any anesthetics back then as well? Also, I wonder if their medical techniques were written down after the Europeans came in and colonized the place. Or were those medical ideas lost forever?
ReplyDeleteIt also astounds me that the Incans could have a school, even without any text or written language. Would that have allowed for more personal student-teacher interactions? It seems like it would in order pass on the oral medicine traditions more effectively.
It reminds me of the ancient school in Greece, where students were taught through conversation rather than lectures and lessons.
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