Hospital
Alissa Shinder
Background
Prior to the development of the first hospital, various cultures established specific locations to care for the sick. Specifically, the Greek society produced the asklepieia, which served as a place where the sick sought divine and natural cures. Although various cultures created institutions for the sick, they were subsequently destroyed.[1] Prior to the invention of the first hospital, disease isolated the sick from the community. The Christian tradition emphasized the close relationship between the sick and the other members of the community. The motivation behind developing the first hospital existed in the Christian idea that the sick should remain connected to society, rather than isolated.[2]
Turning Point
In 369 A.D., a Greek Christian church established the first hospital, called nasocomia.[3] In the fourth century, the eastern Greek-speaking provinces of the Roman Empire developed institutions called xenodocheia, which means hospices.Before 360, hospices established by the Christian church did not yet care for the sick. In the 370s, the bishop of Caesarea opened an institution where individuals were hired to treat sick people for the first time. Governments and religious groupscared for special segments of the population such as the poor, the military, and slaves. Eventually, middle class and wealthy patients began using the hospitals when they were sick, which transformed the concept of the hospital. The Christian Church subsequently catalyzed the development of hospitals in other parts of the world.[4]
Effect
Health systems, such as hospitals, have evolved to meet humanity’s conceptions of their health needs. Specifically, hospitals meet disease, morbidity, mortality, life satisfaction, and social support needs of a population. The health system is constantly developing new goals according to the changing demands from humans. Hospitals help humanity assimilate, normalize, cope with, prevent, or limit the social effects of sickness and healing.[5] Although healthcare in hospitals has progressively become available to a wider sector of the human population, financial, social, and political obstacles continue to limit the availability of organized healthcare to humanity as a whole.[6] Health systems foster a culture that continues to make medical advancements that eradicate disease, which allows humanity to thrive. In contrast, health systems also introduce bioethical dilemmas that challenge the moral constructs assembled by humans.[7]
Hospitals over time have transformed the concept of death. Hospitals have been and currently serve as a place to receive lifesaving treatments for illnesses. These medical institutions breed an environment that supports aggressive medical care to maintain life.[8] Prior to the development of hospitals, this aggressive drive to keep someone alive who was dying of natural causes did not exist. The organization of the institution pushes humanity towards lifesaving treatment to prologue life.[9] For example, a woman in a hospital reached conflict when deciding life-sustaining measures for her 89-year-old husband who was on ventilator support. This woman stated that she wanted to leave it to god’s will to determine if her husband wasgoing to die and that she wanted to keep him alive as long as she could. The nurse replied, “We have some trouble now with god’s will and medical technology. Medical technology can prolong life past the time when the person would die on his own.”[10] This interaction depicts the effect that the hospital environment has on humanity. Life-prolonging procedures, such as intubation, cause humanity to cheat death and prolong the inevitable. Even prior to advanced medical procedures, hospitals have still promoted the culture that survival is the only right option for humanity. Death is culturally shaped and organized in the hospital setting. Medicinal interventions in hospitals support a view that humans can overcome disease and nature through scientific discovery. Humanity is persuaded by the culture of dying that has existed in hospitals for hundreds of years.[11]
[1]Post, S. “Hospital, Medieval and Renaissance History.” 2004. 1184-1187.
[2] Nalager, J. "Hospital.” 2013. 1005-1010.
[3] Schlager, N., Lauer, J. “Hospitals and Treatment Facilities in the Ancient World”. 2005. 131-134.
[4] Post, S. “Hospital, Medieval and Renaissance History.”
[5] Fábrega, H. Evolution of sickness and healing. 1997. 299-305
[6] Guenter, R. “Hospital.” 2004. 1120-1125
[7] Fábrega, H. Evolution of sickness and healing.
[8] Gilbert, S. Death's door: modern dying and the ways we grieve. 2006. 125.
[9] Nalager, J. "Hospital.”
[10] Kaufman, S. And a time to die. 2005. 111
[11] Chapple, H. No place for dying: hospitals and the ideology of rescue. 2010. 100-105.
Bibliography
Chapple, H. No place for dying: hospitals and the ideology of rescue. Left Coast Press. Walnut Creek. 2010: 100-105.
Fábrega, H. Evolution of sickness and healing.University of California Press. Berkley. 1997: 299-305.
Gilbert, S. Death's door: modern dying and the ways we grieve. Norton. New York. 2006: 125.
Guenter, R. “Hospital.” Gale Virtual Reference Library. New York. 2004:1120-1125.
Kaufman, S.And a time to die. Scribner: New York. 2005: 326.
Nalager, J. "Hospital.” Encyclopædia Britannica Inc. New York. 2013: 1005-1010. Post, S. “Hospital, Medieval and Renaissance History”. Gale
Virtual Reference Library. New York. 2004:1184-1187.
Schlager. N., Lauer, J. “Hospitals and Treatment Facilities in the Ancient World.” Gale Virtual Reference Library. Detroit. 2005. 131-134.
Alissa Shinder
Background
Prior to the development of the first hospital, various cultures established specific locations to care for the sick. Specifically, the Greek society produced the asklepieia, which served as a place where the sick sought divine and natural cures. Although various cultures created institutions for the sick, they were subsequently destroyed.[1] Prior to the invention of the first hospital, disease isolated the sick from the community. The Christian tradition emphasized the close relationship between the sick and the other members of the community. The motivation behind developing the first hospital existed in the Christian idea that the sick should remain connected to society, rather than isolated.[2]
Turning Point
In 369 A.D., a Greek Christian church established the first hospital, called nasocomia.[3] In the fourth century, the eastern Greek-speaking provinces of the Roman Empire developed institutions called xenodocheia, which means hospices.Before 360, hospices established by the Christian church did not yet care for the sick. In the 370s, the bishop of Caesarea opened an institution where individuals were hired to treat sick people for the first time. Governments and religious groupscared for special segments of the population such as the poor, the military, and slaves. Eventually, middle class and wealthy patients began using the hospitals when they were sick, which transformed the concept of the hospital. The Christian Church subsequently catalyzed the development of hospitals in other parts of the world.[4]
Effect
Health systems, such as hospitals, have evolved to meet humanity’s conceptions of their health needs. Specifically, hospitals meet disease, morbidity, mortality, life satisfaction, and social support needs of a population. The health system is constantly developing new goals according to the changing demands from humans. Hospitals help humanity assimilate, normalize, cope with, prevent, or limit the social effects of sickness and healing.[5] Although healthcare in hospitals has progressively become available to a wider sector of the human population, financial, social, and political obstacles continue to limit the availability of organized healthcare to humanity as a whole.[6] Health systems foster a culture that continues to make medical advancements that eradicate disease, which allows humanity to thrive. In contrast, health systems also introduce bioethical dilemmas that challenge the moral constructs assembled by humans.[7]
Hospitals over time have transformed the concept of death. Hospitals have been and currently serve as a place to receive lifesaving treatments for illnesses. These medical institutions breed an environment that supports aggressive medical care to maintain life.[8] Prior to the development of hospitals, this aggressive drive to keep someone alive who was dying of natural causes did not exist. The organization of the institution pushes humanity towards lifesaving treatment to prologue life.[9] For example, a woman in a hospital reached conflict when deciding life-sustaining measures for her 89-year-old husband who was on ventilator support. This woman stated that she wanted to leave it to god’s will to determine if her husband wasgoing to die and that she wanted to keep him alive as long as she could. The nurse replied, “We have some trouble now with god’s will and medical technology. Medical technology can prolong life past the time when the person would die on his own.”[10] This interaction depicts the effect that the hospital environment has on humanity. Life-prolonging procedures, such as intubation, cause humanity to cheat death and prolong the inevitable. Even prior to advanced medical procedures, hospitals have still promoted the culture that survival is the only right option for humanity. Death is culturally shaped and organized in the hospital setting. Medicinal interventions in hospitals support a view that humans can overcome disease and nature through scientific discovery. Humanity is persuaded by the culture of dying that has existed in hospitals for hundreds of years.[11]
[1]Post, S. “Hospital, Medieval and Renaissance History.” 2004. 1184-1187.
[2] Nalager, J. "Hospital.” 2013. 1005-1010.
[3] Schlager, N., Lauer, J. “Hospitals and Treatment Facilities in the Ancient World”. 2005. 131-134.
[4] Post, S. “Hospital, Medieval and Renaissance History.”
[5] Fábrega, H. Evolution of sickness and healing. 1997. 299-305
[6] Guenter, R. “Hospital.” 2004. 1120-1125
[7] Fábrega, H. Evolution of sickness and healing.
[8] Gilbert, S. Death's door: modern dying and the ways we grieve. 2006. 125.
[9] Nalager, J. "Hospital.”
[10] Kaufman, S. And a time to die. 2005. 111
[11] Chapple, H. No place for dying: hospitals and the ideology of rescue. 2010. 100-105.
Bibliography
Chapple, H. No place for dying: hospitals and the ideology of rescue. Left Coast Press. Walnut Creek. 2010: 100-105.
Fábrega, H. Evolution of sickness and healing.University of California Press. Berkley. 1997: 299-305.
Gilbert, S. Death's door: modern dying and the ways we grieve. Norton. New York. 2006: 125.
Guenter, R. “Hospital.” Gale Virtual Reference Library. New York. 2004:1120-1125.
Kaufman, S.And a time to die. Scribner: New York. 2005: 326.
Nalager, J. "Hospital.” Encyclopædia Britannica Inc. New York. 2013: 1005-1010. Post, S. “Hospital, Medieval and Renaissance History”. Gale
Virtual Reference Library. New York. 2004:1184-1187.
Schlager. N., Lauer, J. “Hospitals and Treatment Facilities in the Ancient World.” Gale Virtual Reference Library. Detroit. 2005. 131-134.