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Artezio is a software development and software outsourcing company with more than 20 years' history, 7 development centers worldwide. We specialize in custom software development.

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It wouldn’t be wrong to define the present world as the one where technology embraces anything and everything. Right from the mobile phone you are holding to the aircraft that you see flying in the sky, it is all technology. Every segment of the global marketplace is accelerating and optimizing technology to stay ahead of others. When it comes to naming the industries that are the most influenced by technology, healthcare reserves the topmost position. Undoubtedly, technological advancements are pushing hospitals and other healthcare providers to look for solutions to digitize their processes and functions. Furthermore, the situation gives rise to the need for finding reliable healthcare software development companies. As per a in the U.S. (2019), most C-suite executives deploy advanced technologies in their healthcare organization. survey conducted Below, we have brought a list for you that contains the top 10 medical software development companies that possess the potential to reform the healthcare industry. We have thoroughly researched, analyzed, and then created the list you are about to read here. Our research is entirely based on clients’ reviews and ratings, case studies, testimonials, comparative analysis, and other vital parameters. Top 3 Healthcare Software Development Services Provider RisingMax Suffescom Intellecsoft See the list of ﻿custom healthcare software development company - Healthcare Software Development Company 1. RisingMax US-based RisingMax is a healthcare software development company that delivers scalable business solutions. They cater to client’s unique needs of clients from the healthcare background and render unsurpassable and result-oriented healthcare software development services. Its scope of services includes creating patient portals, designing solutions for clinical management, , mobile health apps, and more. As reflected through their past projects, they cultivate a deep understanding of the requirements to develop apt solutions. They empower their software by incorporating emerging technologies like blockchain, artificial intelligence, and IoT. The company has also nailed the art of satisfying its clients, which is exhibited in the client testimonials section of their website. home healthcare management software EHR System, EMR, Telemedicine App, Doctor On Demand, Hospital Management System Product Developed For Healthcare Industry: 2. -  Healthcare Software Company Suffescom Solutions Suffescom Solutions is another US-based software development company that has earned a reputable position on the list of the most preferred healthcare software development companies. They provide the right strategy and the right technology to develop software for healthcare organizations and enable them to propel forward. With their large-sized team of developers, the company has set numerous examples where they have assisted healthcare organizations to upscale their business. Their past performance and delivery of back-to-back successful projects speak high of their dedication and expertise. Moreover, their software products are enriched with UI/UX to render an unparalleled user experience. Over the years, they have developed an attractive portfolio that consists of various esteemed clients. 3. - Healthcare Software Development SaM Solutions SaM Solutions delivers exceptional and robust healthcare software development services and has successfully completed digital healthcare projects. Right from consulting, custom healthcare software development, portal & CMS to apps for medical staff, mobile solutions for patients, software development for medical devices, and maintenance, they do it all. The company advocates offering custom solutions to healthcare organizations because not every solution is meant for everyone. Their software products have streamlined processes for various healthcare clients. Additionally, utilizing its domain experience, passion, and technological expertise, the company strives to better its software development and deliver enterprise-grade solutions. 4. Medical software development services Intellectsoft Intellectsoft has carved a special position for itself among the most reliable healthcare software development agencies. Its cutting-edge transformative solutions and customer-centric approach make it one of the most sought-after software development firms for healthcare providers. The company provides healthcare web/mobile applications, digital healthcare solutions, IoT-powered medical solutions, EHR systems, clinical data management systems, and more. Its software products are developed explicitly to minimize the scope of human intervention/error. Powered by exemplary technical skills, the company integrates technologies like artificial intelligence and IoT to render services at par with excellence. Our tech experts also came across their genuine client testimonials and reviews that further strengthen their current position. 5. healthcare software development services Artezio Artezio is no new name and has been serving the global marketplace for more than 20 years with its healthcare software development services. The company has successfully served more than 100 clients, including various prestigious healthcare providers, pharmaceutical distributors, research organizations, and other healthcare institutions. They offers custom solutions to enable the healthcare sector break the traditional management systems by introducing its highly sophisticated and agile software products. The company’s custom healthcare software development includes a suite of systems like in-patient & outpatient record management, EHR & EMR, clinical trials management, and more. Besides, they also develop mobile apps for doctors, patients, and fitness & health. 6. Itransition healthcare software development Itransition is counted amongst those medical software development companies that are tech-driven and developers of modern healthcare solutions. It offers grounded solutions to serve the segment that serves humanity. Its custom healthcare solutions are at par with excellence and never fail to deliver what the healthcare providers demand for bettering their services. The company’s healthcare solutions consist of consumer health apps, patient portals, clinical & health management systems, medical practice management & operations system, and more. Its existence has facilitated the growth of healthcare organizations by managing their workflows and automating their processes. 7. Velvetech Velvetech develops healthcare solutions that match the needs of healthcare organizations. Amazingly, they have been serving the healthcare providers with their solutions for more than 15 years now. The projects developed by Velvetech leverage the potential of technologies like blockchain, AI & Machine Learning, the Internet of Medical Things, and more. The company also develops software as a medical device (SaMD) that is highly compatible with tablets, smartphones, and desktops. Besides, they also build practice management systems, medical billing solutions, post-acute-care coordination solutions, and more. 8. Oxagile healthcare software development services Oxagile is one of the most reliable healthcare software development companies that assist caregivers with medical software products. The company has a vast track record of developing software solutions that enhance diagnostics, treatment, medical workflows, and day-to-day management solutions. At Oxagile, they build custom healthcare solutions for hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare institutions. The company offers medical software, including EMR, EHR & PHM, lab information systems, E-prescriptions, patient portals, hospital asset tracking, and revenue cycle management. Their software products are enriched with UI and UX that makes them highly appreciable amongst clients. Powered by Cloud, their patient portal, health tracker, and feature-rich analytics solutions are amongst the most demanded solutions by the clients. 9. Elinext Elinext is an established name and has earned a reputation amongst healthcare software development agencies. Talking about its inception, it dates back to 1997. Since then, they have grown by leaps and bounds and have built significant healthcare IT solutions for hospitals, pharmacies, dental practitioners, and other healthcare industry verticals. Their expertise revolves around automating workflows, optimizing cost, improving diagnostics and treatment, enhancing patient engagement, and minimizing risk. Their scope of healthcare solutions consists of radiology software, patient portals, Mhealth apps, healthcare analytics software, cancer detection systems, and more. Elinext’s solutions are backed by modern technologies that lead them to meeting industry standards. 10. DaffodilSW healthcare software development company DaffodilSW has made its presence felt by outsmarting many custom healthcare software development firms. Its smart and user-friendly healthcare software products enable healthcare providers to redefine the way patient’s needs were addressed till now. The company delivers the development of custom EMR/EHR solutions, hospital & practice management solutions, patient engagement software, telehealth solutions, emergency response systems, on-demand healthcare solutions, fitness apps, and healthcare information exchange. The company's customer success stories speak high of its expertise and their flawless software products. Daffodil boasts of numerous happy customers because it houses solutions that can take healthcare organizations to the next level. Their propelled abilities have helped many healthcare providers in achieving their goals of providing better care to patients while managing their workflows. Why Should Healthcare Organizations Get Healthcare Software Developed? Times have changed, and so has the perception of the global marketplace. Maximum industries are inching towards digitization, and the healthcare industry is no exception. However, the question here is what importance does healthcare software hold, and why should healthcare organizations get software developed? Here are a few reasons that will explain its importance and why you should look for the best custom healthcare software development company. Healthcare software products enable quick access to patient records from inpatient and remote locations. This feature adds to the efficiency of healthcare organizations and bettering their care while coordinating within the system. Quick Access The most reliable healthcare software development agencies integrate modern technologies into their software products and effectively support clinical decisions. Moreover, robust healthcare software offers clinical alerts, reminders, and medical information. Effective Decision Support Healthcare software comes with performance-improvement tools and real-time quality reporting to keep the healthcare providers updated on every key aspect related to the patient, diagnoses, treatment, and other verticals. Real-Time Quality Reporting A healthcare software incorporates legible and complete documentation to bring accuracy in coding and billing. This feature prevents manual errors from occurring while the hospital staff maintains the financial records. It also keeps the patients & family at ease throughout their stay at the hospital facility. Accurate Coding & Billing The provision of reliable point-of-care information and reminders that notify critical health interventions makes it a must-have digital product for healthcare providers. Doctors and medical staff can keep monitoring patient’s health. Health Interventions Most healthcare software development firms prefer integrating the e-Prescriptions feature into their healthcare software products. The functionality allows the electronic sending of prescriptions to the pharmacy. e-Prescriptions Solutions like cloud computing systems and SaaS-enabled allow healthcare providers to use the software and its services anywhere without any discomfort. Convenience Of Use Electronic Health Records Custom healthcare software development companies acknowledge the importance of automation. This is why healthcare software products possess features that reduce the need for staff to maintain everything manually. Reduction Of Manual Intervention Electronic referrals promote convenient and hassle-free follow-up care with specialists. Follow-Up Care After knowing the above-mentioned astounding benefits that healthcare software can bring for your organization, it becomes next to impossible to deny its importance. And now that you have learned them, it’s time to know about the next five medical software development companies. Read through. Did you know? Technology-driven innovation has the power to improve the understanding of patients, enable the delivery of more convenient, individualized care, and create $350 billion–$410 billion in annual value by 2025. The remote patient monitoring market is expected to reach US$31.326 billion by the end of 2023, increasing from US$15.871 billion in 2017, growing at a of 12% during the forecast period. CAGR Statistics are endless that advocate the importance of healthcare software for the industry that saves lives. Factors To Consider Before Choosing A Healthcare Software Development Company While our list of the best healthcare software development agencies is not exhaustive, there are many others firms in the marketplace. Admittedly, not every agency is worth hiring, and you should always consider a few key factors before hiring one. Let us have a quick glance at those factors. Medical needs Technical skills and expertise of the firm Market reputation of the firm Budget Bearing these aspects in mind, you can well analyze and compare between various firms and boil down to one. Wrapping Up: The market is flooded with innumerable companies that provide healthcare software development services. Our tech experts keep a close eye on the healthcare software development companies and keep reviewing them to help the readers stay updated and educated. Furthermore, this piece is a result of months of research and analysis with our team working to bring the most insightful information for you. We hope this blog post allowed you to dive deeper and select the best healthcare software development company to reach the shores of successful healthcare provision.

10 Best Healthcare Software Development Companies of 2023

Healthcare technology refers to any software or IT tools developed to boost hospital and organizational productivity, improve the overall quality of care, and provide better insights into treatments or procedures. The healthcare industry is a $2 trillion giant facing complex challenges like insane costs, thorough regulations, limited access, and physician burnouts, among many other problems. Forcing healthcare companies to look for alternatives to provide disruptive solutions, and of course, technology is a key ally. In the past few years, we have accelerated growth in health tech, with technology helping in every step of our healthcare experience to improve quality and efficiency. We still have a long way to go regarding healthcare, so companies are in an excellent position to bring innovation and improvement by introducing life-changing tools and software. To do so, it's important to work with a healthcare software development company that understands the industry, excels at technology, and has expertise in regulations and compliance. We researched the market to be able to provide a list of the top healthcare software development companies that have the potential to build outstanding digital products. We based this list on the top healthcare software development companies according to , , and . We evaluated experience, portfolios, tech stack, compliance, client reviews, team sizes, and value propositions to determine the ideal partners when it comes to health tech: Clutch Designrush Google Rankings ★★★★★ 5.0 Rating 1. Healthcare Software Development Company | Light-it - Light-it is an award-winning healthcare software development company that builds outstanding digital products. Their clients range from fresh start-ups to leading 500 companies. They manage an expert team by offering end-to-end product development and staff augmentation services. As healthcare product builders, they combine technical capabilities with thorough expertise in healthcare and industry-specific regulations. Their scope includes web&app development, road mapping, and UX/UI design. They have experience developing medical software solutions in multiple healthcare fields, such as pharmaceuticals, medical data management, hospitals, and digital consultations. As a healthcare software development company, its biggest asset is working as genuine partners with its clients and being involved in every step of the process. - ★★★★★ 4.9 Rating 2. Intellectsoft Healthcare Software Development Company | Intellectsoft has a great position in the niche, being one of the most reliable healthcare software developers. They have specialized in health since 2007, giving them over 15 years of experience. They bring top-notch domain expertise, exceptional talent, and innovative thinkers to deliver quality healthcare solutions. The company provides web/mobile applications, hospital information systems, EHR systems, IoMT, data engines, and remote medical care solutions. As a software development company, they also specialize in other industries like construction, insurance, e-commerce, etc., and have great experience in each one. Intellectsoft stands out for its years of experience and the use of innovative technology. ★★★★★ 4.8 Rating 3. - Healthcare Software Development Company | Sciencesoft Sciencesoft is a leading healthcare software development company with over 17 years of experience in the industry. They offer full-cycle IT services for medical organizations to build thriving solutions without expanding their in-house team. They deliver excellent custom solutions by combining deep industry expertise, innovation, and the latest technology. Their healthcare IT services cover IT modernization, cloud migration, care delivery digitalization, and IT support, among others. With so many years of experience, they have expertise in most healthcare niches and a vast number of developers, designers, and engineers in their team. ★★★★★ 4.9 Rating 4. Itransition - Healthcare Software Development Company | Itransition is a tech-driven medical software development company. They deliver innovative and custom healthcare solutions to improve health services and people's lives. The company offers a wide range of solutions, such as health apps, patient portals, and medical practice management & operations systems. They deliver tech solutions and services for healthcare organizations and practitioners, nursing homes, diagnostic and research centers, assisted living facilities, medical ISVs, and device manufacturers. As a software company, they focus on usability and security, which guarantees a seamless operation and a positive user experience. ★★★★★ 4.9 Rating 5. Cleveroad - Healthcare Software Development Company | Cleveroad offers custom healthcare software development to optimize workflows at medical facilities and digitalize healthcare to improve interoperability. Their services are for all industry institutions, such as telemedicine, medical, remote care, and physical and mental well-being. They provide treatment/patient support, internal operability, management software, and patient solutions. They have an outstanding team of developers that focus on building innovative solutions that optimize services and workflows and enhance the interaction between providers and patients. ★★★★ 4.0 Rating 6. Artezio - Healthcare Software Development Company | Artezio has been offering healthcare software development services for over 20 years, so they are a well-known name in the industry. Those many years of experience have led them to build solutions for more than 100 clients, including recognized companies in different healthcare spaces (providers, pharmaceuticals, researchers, etc.). They aim to disrupt traditional management systems by offering custom healthcare solutions that are sophisticated and agile. Some of the systems they manage include EHR & EMR, patient record management, clinical trials management, and developing web and mobile products. All in all, they are one of the best options when it comes to healthcare software development, and it shows with their numerous positive reviews. Tips on How to Choose the Best Healthcare Software Development Company Once you have decided to work with a healthcare software development partner, there are numerous options to choose from, and it can be hard to evaluate each one, especially since they all claim to be experts in their field. So, how can you choose the ideal one to reach your goals? Analyze their experience and areas of expertise as a healthcare software developer The healthcare industry presents significant challenges, especially in building products, since many regulations, standards, and compliance requirements need to be met in every step of the development process. Experienced healthcare developers will help you navigate these challenges and assist you. Investigate their portfolio to see the quality of their work. It's important to review the portfolio of your potential healthcare software development partners to analyze their past projects and understand if they match your requirements regarding quality. Also, it's a good idea to research to see if they serve organizations within your niche. Some factors when evaluating the portfolio are: Type of healthcare products they delivered in the past The type of clients they have partnered with The complexity of the projects they have worked on The involvement and support they provide to their partners The technologies they work best with Reviews are a great way to discover how customers feel about each company and how they helped them create their healthcare software solutions. With each review, you can evaluate the human side of the equation and each company's involvement with its projects. Look for reviews and ratings to understand the quality of the service When building innovative solutions, the cost-to-quality ratio is an essential aspect to analyze before choosing your tech partner. Everyone has a budget, and it's important to be clear about it from the beginning to understand which company will be the best fit for your project. Know the cost of developing healthcare software Evaluate the best engagement model based on your project to choose a company that is aligned with it. Engagement models define the different ways in which the collaboration between you and your partner can be: Fixed price model: The healthcare software development company provides a fixed quote for their work. This model can be helpful for short-term projects or projects with a crystal clear scope. Time and material model: In this case, the team provided for the project is based on time and material. As a client, you will agree to pay per time and developer based on a mutually agreed hourly rate. This model is ideal when you need flexibility and scalability and the project is long-term. Dedicated Hiring Model: It refers to an agreement between you and the development company, where the company will provide software development talent on a long-term basis depending on your demands on experience and expertise. This is ideal for clients looking to extend their team or who need more flexibility. Many might believe that launching the product is the final step, but this is only the beginning. The market and user demands keep changing, so ongoing development will be necessary in many cases. And even if there were no need to keep developing or optimizing features, there would be obstacles that must be faced post-launch. Ask the different potential partners about the support and maintenance they offer. Evaluate what the healthcare software development company will offer post-launch. The human aspect will be vital to making the right decision. Get to know the other company to fully understand how they work, if they are a cultural fit, if they will really be partners or just offer software, etc. Schedule a meeting to get to know them. Some Questions You Should Ask Your Healthcare Software Development Company: Do you understand the HIPAA compliance requirements that might apply to my healthcare product? What other regulations will I need to take into consideration? Do you have expertise in the healthcare industry? Do you offer end-to-end product development? Can we sign an NDA? Can I have the contact information of your previous clients? What is your working methodology? How experienced are your software developers, QA engineers, and designers? How often and how will we communicate during development? Will I be provided with full access to their code? Criteria for Choosing the Right Healthcare Software Development Company This checklist will cover the essential characteristics a custom software company should have: [ ] Track record, rankings, and customer reviews. A great place to check for this is Clutch.co [ ] The development methodology and how close it is to your own (most clients choose agile, but it's still important to ask) [ ] Compliance when it comes to privacy and security regulations. [ ] The size of the company (it will tell you a lot about their involvement and expertise) [ ] Their technological expertise in healthcare software development and their tech stack. [ ] They have capacity and scalability. In conclusion, the fast-growing health tech industry presents incredible challenges that push companies to find disruptive and innovative solutions, and to do so, having a technological partner is critical. The market is flooded with countless healthcare software development companies that can provide this service, so it is important to consider all your requirements and do extensive research before choosing one.

The Top 6 Healthcare Software Development Companies With the Best Ratings

Top Custom Software Development Companies

The Evolution of Modern Medicine, by William Osler is part of HackerNoon’s Book Blog Post series. You can jump to any chapter in this book . here EGYPTIAN MEDICINE OUT of the ocean of oblivion, man emerges in history in a highly civilized state on the banks of the Nile, some sixty centuries ago. After millenniums of a gradual upward progress, which can be traced in the records of the stone age, civilization springs forth Minerva-like, complete, and highly developed, in the Nile Valley. In this sheltered, fertile spot, neolithic man first raised himself above his kindred races of the Mediterranean basin, and it is suggested that by the accidental discovery of copper Egypt "forged the instruments that raised civilization out of the slough of the Stone Age" (Elliot Smith). Of special interest to us is the fact that one of the best-known names of this earliest period is that of a physician—guide, philosopher and friend of the king—a man in a position of wide trust and importance. On leaving Cairo, to go up the Nile, one sees on the right in the desert behind Memphis a terraced pyramid 190 feet in height, "the first large structure of stone known in history." It is the royal tomb of Zoser, the first of a long series with which the Egyptian monarchy sought "to adorn the coming bulk of death." The design of this is attributed to Imhotep, the first figure of a physician to stand out clearly from the mists of antiquity. "In priestly wisdom, in magic, in the formulation of wise proverbs, in medicine and architecture, this remarkable figure of Zoser's reign left so notable a reputation that his name was never forgotten, and 2500 years after his death he had become a God of Medicine, in whom the Greeks, who called him Imouthes, recognized their own AEsculapius."(3) He became a popular god, not only healing men when alive, but taking good care of them in the journeys after death. The facts about this medicinae primus inventor, as he has been called, may be gathered from Kurt Sethe's study.(4) He seems to have corresponded very much to the Greek Asklepios. As a god he is met with comparatively late, between 700 and 332 B.C. Numerous bronze figures of him remain. The oldest memorial mentioning him is a statue of one of his priests, Amasis (No. 14765 in the British Museum). Ptolemy V dedicated to him a temple on the island of Philae. His cult increased much in later days, and a special temple was dedicated to him near Memphis Sethe suggests that the cult of Imhotep gave the inspiration to the Hermetic literature. The association of Imhotep with the famous temple at Edfu is of special interest. Egypt became a centre from which civilization spread to the other peoples of the Mediterranean. For long centuries, to be learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians meant the possession of all knowledge. We must come to the land of the Nile for the origin of many of man's most distinctive and highly cherished beliefs. Not only is there a magnificent material civilization, but in records so marvellously preserved in stone we may see, as in a glass, here clearly, there darkly, the picture of man's search after righteousness, the earliest impressions of his moral awakening, the beginnings of the strife in which he has always been engaged for social justice and for the recognition of the rights of the individual. But above all, earlier and more strongly than in any other people, was developed the faith that looked through death, to which, to this day, the noblest of their monuments bear an enduring testimony. With all this, it is not surprising to find a growth in the knowledge of practical medicine; but Egyptian civilization illustrates how crude and primitive may remain a knowledge of disease when conditioned by erroneous views of its nature. At first, the priest and physician were identified, and medicine never became fully dissociated from religion. Only in the later periods did a special group of physicians arise who were not members of priestly colleges.(6) Maspero states that the Egyptians believed that disease and death were not natural and inevitable, but caused by some malign influence which could use any agency, natural or invisible, and very often belonged to the invisible world. "Often, though, it belongs to the invisible world, and only reveals itself by the malignity of its attacks: it is a god, a spirit, the soul of a dead man, that has cunningly entered a living person, or that throws itself upon him with irresistible violence. Once in possession of the body, the evil influence breaks the bones, sucks out the marrow, drinks the blood, gnaws the intestines and the heart and devours the flesh. The invalid perishes according to the progress of this destructive work; and death speedily ensues, unless the evil genius can be driven out of it before it has committed irreparable damage. Whoever treats a sick person has therefore two equally important duties to perform. He must first discover the nature of the spirit in possession, and, if necessary, its name, and then attack it, drive it out, or even destroy it. He can only succeed by powerful magic, so he must be an expert in reciting incantations, and skilful in making amulets. He must then use medicine (drugs and diet) to contend with the disorders which the presence of the strange being has produced in the body."(6) In this way it came about that diseases were believed to be due to hostile spirits, or caused by the anger of a god, so that medicines, no matter how powerful, could only be expected to assuage the pain; but magic alone, incantations, spells and prayers, could remove the disease. Experience brought much of the wisdom we call empirical, and the records, extending for thousands of years, show that the Egyptians employed emetics, purgatives, enemata, diuretics, diaphoretics and even bleeding. They had a rich pharmacopoeia derived from the animal, vegetable and mineral kingdoms. In the later periods, specialism reached a remarkable development, and Herodotus remarks that the country was full of physicians;—"One treats only the diseases of the eye, another those of the head, the teeth, the abdomen, or the internal organs." Our knowledge of Egyptian medicine is derived largely from the remarkable papyri dealing specially with this subject. Of these, six or seven are of the first importance. The most famous is that discovered by Ebers, dating from about 1500 B.C. A superb document, one of the great treasures of the Leipzig Library, it is 20.23 metres long and 30 centimetres high and in a state of wonderful preservation. Others are the Kahun, Berlin, Hearst and British Museum papyri. All these have now been published—the last three quite recently, edited by Wreszinski.(7) I show here a reproduction from which an idea may be had of these remarkable documents. They are motley collections, filled with incantations, charms, magical formulae, symbols, prayers and prescriptions for all sorts of ailments. One is impressed by the richness of the pharmacopoeia, and the high development which the art of pharmacy must have attained. There were gargles, salves, snuffs, inhalations, suppositories, fumigations, enemata, poultices and plasters; and they knew the use of opium, hemlock, the copper salts, squills and castor oil. Surgery was not very highly developed, but the knife and actual cautery were freely used. Ophthalmic surgery was practiced by specialists, and there are many prescriptions in the papyri for ophthalmia. One department of Egyptian medicine reached a high stage of development, vis., hygiene. Cleanliness of the dwellings, of the cities and of the person was regulated by law, and the priests set a splendid example in their frequent ablutions, shaving of the entire body, and the spotless cleanliness of their clothing. As Diodorus remarks, so evenly ordered was their whole manner of life that it was as if arranged by a learned physician rather than by a lawgiver. Two world-wide modes of practice found their earliest illustration in ancient Egypt. Magic, the first of these, represented the attitude of primitive man to nature, and really was his religion. He had no idea of immutable laws, but regarded the world about him as changeable and fickle like himself, and "to make life go as he wished, he must be able to please and propitiate or to coerce these forces outside himself."(8) The point of interest to us is that in the Pyramid Texts—"the oldest chapter in human thinking preserved to us, the remotest reach in the intellectual history of man which we are now able to discern"(9)—one of their six-fold contents relates to the practice of magic. A deep belief existed as to its efficacy, particularly in guiding the dead, who were said to be glorious by reason of mouths equipped with the charms, prayers and ritual of the Pyramid Texts, armed with which alone could the soul escape the innumerable dangers and ordeals of the passage through another world. Man has never lost his belief in the efficacy of magic, in the widest sense of the term. Only a very few of the most intellectual nations have escaped from its shackles. Nobody else has so clearly expressed the origins and relations of magic as Pliny in his "Natural History."(10) "Now, if a man consider the thing well, no marvaile it is that it hath continued thus in so great request and authoritie; for it is the onely Science which seemeth to comprise in itselfe three possessions besides, which have the command and rule of mans mind above any other whatsoever. For to begin withall, no man doubteth but that Magicke tooke root first, and proceeded from Physicke, under the presence of maintaining health, curing, and preventing diseases: things plausible to the world, crept and insinuated farther into the heart of man, with a deepe conceit of some high and divine matter therein more than ordinarie, and in comparison whereof, all other Physicke was but basely accounted. And having thus made way and entrance, the better to fortifie it selfe, and to give a goodly colour and lustre to those fair and flattering promises of things, which our nature is most given to hearken after, on goeth the habite also and cloake of religion: a point, I may tell you, that even in these daies holdeth captivate the spirit of man, and draweth away with it a greater part of the world, and nothing so much. But not content with this successe and good proceeding, to gather more strength and win a greater name, shee entermingled with medicinable receipts and religious ceremonies, the skill of Astrologie and arts Mathematicall; presuming upon this, That all men by nature are very curious and desirous to know their future fortunes, and what shall betide them hereafter, persuading themselves, that all such foreknowledge dependeth upon the course and influence of the starres, which give the truest and most certain light of things to come. Being thus wholly possessed of men, and having their senses and understanding by this meanes fast ynough bound with three sure chains, no marvell if this art grew in processe of time to such an head, that it was and is at this day reputed by most nations of the earth for the paragon and cheefe of all sciences: insomuch as the mightie kings and monarchs of the Levant are altogether ruled and governed thereby." The second world-wide practice which finds its earliest record among the Egyptians is the use secretions and parts of the animal body as medicine. The practice was one of great antiquity with primitive man, but the papyri already mentioned contain the earliest known records. Saliva, urine, bile, faeces, various parts of the body, dried and powdered, worms, insects, snakes were important ingredients in the pharmacopoeia. The practice became very widespread throughout the ancient world. Its extent and importance may be best gathered from chapters VII and VIII in the 28th book of Pliny's "Natural History." Several remedies are mentioned as derived from man; others from the elephant, lion, camel, crocodile, and some seventy-nine are prepared from the hyaena. The practice was widely prevalent throughout the Middle Ages, and the pharmacopoeia of the seventeenth and even of the eighteenth century contains many extraordinary ingredients. "The Royal Pharmacopoeia" of Moses Charras (London ed., 1678), the most scientific work of the day, is full of organotherapy and directions for the preparation of medicines from the most loathsome excretions. A curious thing is that with the discoveries of the mummies a belief arose as to the great efficacy of powdered mummy in various maladies. As Sir Thomas Browne remarks in his "Urn Burial": "Mummy has become merchandize. Mizraim cures wounds, and Pharaoh is sold for balsams." One formula in everyday use has come to us in a curious way from the Egyptians. In the Osiris myth, the youthful Horus loses an eye in his battle with Set. This eye, the symbol of sacrifice, became, next to the sacred beetle, the most common talisman of the country, and all museums are rich in models of the Horus eye in glass or stone. "When alchemy or chemistry, which had its cradle in Egypt, and derived its name from Khami, an old title for this country, passed to the hands of the Greeks, and later of the Arabs, this sign passed with it. It was also adopted to some extent by the Gnostics of the early Christian church in Egypt. In a cursive form it is found in mediaeval translations of the works of Ptolemy the astrologer, as the sign of the planet Jupiter. As such it was placed upon horoscopes and upon formula containing drugs made for administration to the body, so that the harmful properties of these drugs might be removed under the influence of the lucky planet. At present, in a slightly modified form, it still figures at the top of prescriptions written daily in Great Britain (Rx)."(11) For centuries Egyptian physicians had a great reputation, and in the Odyssey (Bk. IV), Polydamna, the wife of Thonis, gives medicinal plants to Helen in Egypt—"a country producing an infinite number of drugs . . . where each physician possesses knowledge above all other men." Jeremiah (xlvi, 11) refers to the virgin daughter of Egypt, who should in vain use many medicines. Herodotus tells that Darius had at his court certain Egyptians, whom he reckoned the best skilled physicians in all the world, and he makes the interesting statement that: "Medicine is practiced among them on a plan of separation; each physician treats a single disorder, and no more: thus the country swarms with medical practitioners, some under taking to cure diseases of the eye, others of the head, others again of the teeth, others of the intestines, and some those which are not local."(12) A remarkable statement is made by Pliny, in the discussion upon the use of radishes, which are said to cure a "Phthisicke," or ulcer of the lungs—"proofe whereof was found and seen in AEgypt by occasion that the KK. there, caused dead bodies to be cut up, and anatomies to be made, for to search out the maladies whereof men died."(13) The study of the anatomy of mummies has thrown a very interesting light upon the diseases of the ancient Egyptians, one of the most prevalent of which appears to have been osteo-arthritis. This has been studied by Elliot Smith, Wood Jones, Ruffer and Rietti. The majority of the lesions appear to have been the common osteo-arthritis, which involved not only the men, but many of the pet animals kept in the temples. In a much higher proportion apparently than in modern days, the spinal column was involved. It is interesting to note that the "determinative" of old age in hieroglyphic writing is the picture of a man afflicted with arthritis deformans. Evidences of tuberculosis, rickets and syphilis, according to these authors, have not been found. A study of the internal organs has been made by Ruffer, who has shown that arterio-sclerosis with calcification was a common disease 8500 years ago; and he holds that it could not have been associated with hard work or alcohol, for the ancient Egyptians did not drink spirits, and they had practically the same hours of work as modern Egyptians, with every seventh day free. About HackerNoon Book Series: We bring you the most important technical, scientific, and insightful public domain books. This book is part of the public domain. Urbana, Illinois: Project Gutenberg. Retrieved April 2022 from Osler, William. 2006. The Evolution of Modern Medicine. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/1566/1566-h/1566-h.htm#link2H_4_0007 This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at , located at . www.gutenberg.org https://www.gutenberg.org/policy/license.html Photo by on National Cancer Institute Unsplash

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