Scythians lived in the steppe lands of southern Europe between the 7th-4th centuries BC, occupying territories between the Dnieper and Danube Rivers. We learn about Scythian medicine from archaeological excavations of burial sites and settlements, as well as from writings of ancient Greek historians like Herodotus who visited the region. Scythian medicine was based on empirical experience and herbal remedies. Archaeological evidence shows Scythians practicing wound dressing, tooth extractions, and other medical treatments. Herbal remedies, along with some surgical practices and hygienic methods like steam baths, formed the basis of their traditional medicine.

2. QUESTIONS
1. Where did Scythians live?
2. In whose works were Scythians mentioned?
3. Which historical monuments tell us about Scythian
medicine?
4. On what basis did Scythian medicine grow?
5. What was the most important tool of Scythian
medicine?
6. Which curative plants did Scythians use?
7. How did Scythian traditional medicine decrease of
toxic action of potent and poisonous plants?
8. What surgical methods of treatment were used by
Scythians?

3.  Of the ancient people occupying
steppe southern lands, Scythians
left after themselves many
monuments. Scythians in the VII
century BC occupied the Crimea
and territory between Dnieper and
Danube.
 In the V-IV century BC the part of
Scythian nomads starts to pass to
residence. Scythians had
commercial and cultural relations
with the Greek cities colonies.

4.  About Scythians we learn from excavation of
numerous burial grounds, sites of ancient settlement
across Dnieper, in the Crimea, from references of the
Greek writers, in particular from works of the Greek
historian Herodotus which visited our southern lands.
 Them were mentioned in the works of Hippocrates,
though he had never been in Scythia. Scythians, as
well as the southern Slavic tribes, traded with Greeks
cattle breeding products, furs, bread, simples, a tree,
and received from them different craft products, life
subjects, ware, ornaments.

5.  Scythians had fixed knowledge
concerning treatment of various diseases,
as acquired by an empirical path, and
mystical character.
 During excavation of the Chertomlitsky
barrow near Nikopol, the Kul-Obsky
barrow near to Kerch gold and silver
vases with the image of Scythians were
found. On one of them Scythians who
rendered medical assistance (bandaging
of the bottom extremity, tooth
extraction) are represented.
 Some Scythians were familiar with
medicine of antique Greeks, had larger
medical practice in Athens (Anakharsis,
Tomsaris).

6.  Scythian medicine - traditional medicine. Throughout
long centuries original, and in some cases quite
original, Scythian medicine stored extensive
experience of treatment of patients and prevention of
diseases. And though it was considerably under
religious influence that left on it the mark (in its
arsenal near very valuable, the tools which expediency
is very doubtful) appeared also, but nevertheless it is
impossible to tell that the Scythian medicine was only
sorcery.

7.  As a whole the people in a hostile way fell into to
sorcerers, them didn't believe in their medical abilities
and sometimes they were even cruelly punished. It
testifies that the Scythian medicine grew on the basis
of immemorial experience and includes rationales.
 Representatives of Scythian traditional medicine
received the knowledge by immediate acquaintance to
subjects of the environmental nature. Development of
conditions of the material life was the main reason for
medicine development.

8.  The most important tool of Scythian medicine -
phytogenic remedies. The settled Scythian population
found a set of simples in connection with agriculture
and life quite often from the woods, nomads - in
connection with constants of a pasture of cattle.
 Antique writers noted that shepherds opened a
number of curative plants, and it was possible only
thanks to long supervision over the tamed animals.
Observing actions of plants on animals, they
transferred the findings on the person.

9.  Within long centuries the
Scythian population studied a
set of curative plants both wild,
and grown up on kitchen
gardens from which the
significant amount didn't lose
the value and today, not only in
national, but also in scientific
medicine. To take at least an
adonis, a sweet root, a rhubarb,
a plantain, not to mention an
onion, garlic and many other
plants.

10.  Among curative plants in
Scythian medicine there was a
lot of potent and even
poisonous. They also were used
by Scythians for treatment. For
decrease of toxic action of
potent and poisonous plants
Scythian traditional medicine
added to them various
impurities and broths.

11.  Antique writers called only a small part
of the medical plants used by Scythian
traditional medicine. But they noticed
that important fact that Scythians
cultivated most valuable of them on
plantations and carried them on all
ancient the world as the goods.
 In Scythian medicine means of an
animal origin (castoreum, fats, brain)
had wide application also. Scythian
medicine did the know "pants", the
valuable medical goods from the dried-
up horns of a young spotty deer.

12.  As to sanitary-and-hygienic actions it is necessary to emphasize
special value steam «Scythian bath».
 Scythian traditional medicine used since ancient times also
surgical methods of treatment and here too reached the
considerable successes. It from representation of the surgical
help by a pet developed and went, apparently, only on treatment
of bodies and fabrics, available cavities without opening. Such
operations as repositions of dislocations, treatment of changes,
cutting of abscesses and even amputation of extremities, not to
mention an ejection of teeth, were usual at Scythians. At surgical
treatment Scythians applied anesthetics, such as alcohol
intoxication, opium, mandrake roots etc. Snake venom was
applied to treatment. It should be noted that Scythian doctors,
their remedies and methods made the impact on the Greek
doctors, probably even, as on Hippocrates.

13.  Mummification and embalming of the died were
carried out by Scythians for considerably short time.
The Scythian way of embalming was original and
developed without influence of other cultures.

14.  The medicine of Scythians processed many rational
methods of treatment for all the time of the
development, but there were in it also many irrational
remedies and actions which hadn't something in
common with scientific medicine, and in the rational
part the medicine of Scythians went on the same way
as Chinese medicine, Indian, Tibetan and medicine of
other nations.

15.  Slavs since ancient times occupied
the southern coast of the Baltic Sea,
the valleys of rivers Vistula,
Dnieper, Dniester and their inflows.
Through the southern steppe open
spaces paths of many nomadic
people lay with which east Slavs had
to conduct fierce fight, defending
the right to existence and the lands.
Ancestors of Slavs lived in large
settlements as numerous
archeological excavations testify.

16.  Their settlements were strengthened by earth shaft
and ditches. During excavation of such sites of ancient
settlement are found not only oddments of dwellings,
but also traces of earthenware, forge and foundry
crafts.
 According to later chronicles, tribes of Slavs differed
among themselves customs and a life, «имяху бо
обычаи свои и закон отець своих и преданья,
каждо свой нрав» (Lavrentyevsky chronicle). They
were engaged mainly in agriculture, grew up crops,
planted cattle, were engaged in hunting, fishery. To X
century all of them were pagans.

17.  As leading Supreme force glorified
god of the sun, believed in existence
of any supernatural entities which
allegedly live in bogs, the woods, on
fields, in sources, dwellings of
people. Among these supernatural
entities there were kind and
malicious entities who could be
installed in the person and cause
various diseases. Already in those
days among Slavs there were men
and women whom it is better than
others understood curative action of
plants, were able to help at diseases
and wounds. They were magicians,
sorcerers, witch doctors.

18.  The old Slavic religion had the
ceremonies. Sanctuaries – wooden
temples – were built routinely on
coast of the rivers and lakes.
 The Arab writer Al-Massoudi (the
first half X century AD) writes that
Slavs had a temple on the Black
mountain which was surrounded
by fine sources with healing waters.
In the temple there was a big idol
to whom made a sacrifice. Cult
ceremonies, as well as at other
ancient people, provided also
actions of hygienic character.

19.  Researchers of an ancient life of
east Slavs consider that baths were
a place of a cult of ancestors. About
obligatory custom to use them the
contract of Russia with Byzantium
of 907 testifies, in which the right
of Russes to use baths at visit of
Constantinople was separately
noted - «... и да творят им мовь
(баню) елико хотят».

20.  The Arab writer Ibn-Fadlan
(XII century of AD) tell
about Slavs: «I saw Russes
when they arrived on the
trading affairs. I didn't see
(people) with more perfect
bodies. They are similar to
palm trees, they are blond,
their faces are red, their
body is white». The Greek
historian of Leo Diakon
writes about Svyatoslav's
soldiers: «These are people
brave to madness and
strong».