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Salus
versión impresa ISSN 1316-7138
Resumen
JOSE, E; GONZALEZ, L y CAMEJO M, Zoraida V. Esclepios (Aesculapius) and his family in mythology and Western medicine.. Salus [online]. 2015, vol.19, n.2, pp.24-30. ISSN 1316-7138.
Medical practice in the imagination of Greek mythology developed characteristics that still can be found today in the scientific medical practice of Western medicine. In addition to the famous Asclepius, called by the Romans Aesculapius, and the mythological primordial deities of Medicine (Apollo and Chiron), we have the descendants of the God Asclepius and his mortal wife Epione, five (5) immortal daughters: Hygeia, Aceso, Yaso, Eglee and Panacea; and two (2) mortal sons, Machaon and Podalirius. Through the worship practiced by the sick (supplicants) in the different shrines of the gods Asclepiads, temples of Asclepius and his children, choral hymns were sung (peanes), dedicated to these deities, to make healing pleas. From the mythologic realm, the outlines of the organizational form of current Western medical practice could already be appreciated, with a naturalistic character, where the Greeks considered Aceso, Asclepius and Podalirius as the gods protectors of surgical domains; Yaso and Machaon, under whose aegis is the work of clinicians; the important area of human care (nursing), practices of health programs and hygiene, and areas supporting diagnosis and treatment (radiology, biomedical technicians, etc.) were attributed to Hygeia, the most famous daughter of Asclepius; the Romans called her Salus. From her name the terms health and hygiene derive. Eglee, is the goddess who gives doctors the social prestige and the right to charge fees; And Panacea, the one who heals everything. It is clear that mythology contains an essence of philosophy, and philosophy of mythology.
Palabras clave : Health gods; history of medicine; medical symbols; mythology and medicine.