Medical-nursing care in Asclepieions of ancient Greece

Abstract

The aim of this study was to describe the organizational and functional structures of Asclepieions, emphasizing in the provision of medical-nursing care, especially in those interventions that in total, today are known as nursing practice. During the history of ancient Greek medical-nursing care, Asclepieions possessed a great role. They were places in which believers were coming to honour God Asclepius and also to be treated. This study begins with a brief report of the history, the structure, and the medicalnursing care provision. That is followed by a description of the medical- nursing interventions which considered as a part of a general, preparatory and special treatment that where provided for each illness. Finally, the study sets out the comparison between hieratic medical practices of Asclepieions and the Hippocrates orthological medicine.