The purpose of this board.

[Matt Emery]

How would a caveman treat a broken bone?  Or extract a tooth?  How did they treat infections, fungus, snake bites?

I'm especially interested in Palaeolithic medicines and treatments (before 12,000 years ago, the Neolithic revolution).  It is a topic that I rarely see discussed in Palaeontology.

The topic of Palaeolithic Medicine raises some interesting questions relating to;

• The emergence of the Human Immune System, and it's relation to geography and genetics.
• The inter-breeding of tribes, and the genetic blend.
• The importance of linguistics and communication i.e. passing knowledge to subsequent generations and other tribes.
• Spirituality and mysticism, and they're use (or non-use) in healing.
• Natural Selection; were certain genetic pools selected against, and thus eliminated?

Additionally, we could postulate questions such as;

• Are humans genetically becoming weaker (i.e. Dysgenics) due to modern things such as; antibiotics, diets high in sugar, sedentary lifestyles, lack of sunlight, etc?
• And as a result, have we intervened in the evolutionary process to such a degree that we are ill-suited to a natural environment?
• If a Palaeolithic person was transported through time to our modern age, would they live longer or be healthier than a modern person if given access to the same science and medicine?

I think a new board on the forum that discusses such things under the title of "Natural Medicine" could be very worthwhile....so, should we do it?  And if so, should we call it "Natural Medicine" or is there something more suitable?

[Tony Bondioli]

Great idea, Matt.  I'd call it "Doctor Caveman, B.C."

[Elysium]

I agree would be interesting.

Are humans genetically becoming weaker (i.e. Dysgenics) due to modern things such as; antibiotics, diets high in sugar, sedentary lifestyles, lack of sunlight, etc?[/li][/list]

What about lack of natural selection? For example people with fertility problems having children thanks to modern medicine? People with defects (visible or otherwise) that previously wouldn't have survived childhood, but now reach adulthood and reproduce. The moral issues on these subjects is a minefield... :-)

Regards,
Craig.

[Matt Emery]

What about lack of natural selection? For example people with fertility problems having children thanks to modern medicine? People with defects (visible or otherwise) that previously wouldn't have survived childhood, but now reach adulthood and reproduce. The moral issues on these subjects is a minefield... :-)

Yep, indeed.

[Vans10]

I have just the book! If you haven't read it already I think you'd be very interested in it, it definitely has a lot of answers to your questions. "Evolution Rx: A Practical Guide to Harnessing Our Innate Capacity for Health and Healing" by William Meller. It talks about how bacteria and viruses affected us back then, and what we did to treat it. It discusses broken bones and stretching, how the body is able to heal itself without chiropracters doctors. Not only the physical aspects of how different life was, but also the mental and emotional aspect as well. It's practical in saying yes, people were sad or anxious or had fear back then..but they needed to in order to survive. Those emotions are passed down to us, but in a world where we don't have to be hunting and constantly keeping ourselves alive, those emotions can get overwhelming..thus, depression, anxiety, and a slew of other mental disorders. It goes into mating and how our relationships now are greatly affected by how we were millions of years ago. It's incredible, if you're interested and want more detail, I'd be more than happy to share!