Little is known today about the ancient Aztec civilization. However, the few archaeological finds suggest that it was as bloody as ... medically advanced!
After the tragic meeting with newcomers from Europe for the Indians living in Mexico, little information about their ancient civilization has been preserved. It turns out, however, that this stood on a much higher level than it might seem, combining a powerful religious cult with medical practice, diagnostics and pharmaceuticals. Not only that:modern medicine uses some of the knowledge of the ancient Aztecs!
Medical figurines, or diagnosis based on the statue
In West Mexico, archaeologists have found peculiar-looking figurines. Various ailments are presented in a simple way that does not leave much room for interpretation. So we have a mother suffering from rickets, carved with her baby. A. L. Weisman, a collector of memorabilia of ancient Indians, makes a rather wide diagnosis in this case:vitamin deficiency.
The Sorcerer's Pyramid in Uxmal
In another figurine, it is easy to recognize elephantiasis, a disease that leads to deforming swelling of the limbs. Or:aquatic rash as a consequence of nephritis, as diagnosed by Weisman on the basis of the next statuette. He drew attention to a typical lethal bubble on the figurine's mouth
- writes Jürgen Thornwald in "Ancient Medicine ...".
We associate the Aztecs more with bloody rituals than with advanced medicine
One of the exhibits in the Weisman collection has attracted special attention from researchers in the history of diseases plaguing mankind. It appeared to show symptoms of an infectious venereal disease that may be syphilis as we know it today. It was this disease that suddenly spread in Europe at the end of the 15th century, and there was no evidence of its origin. The Nayarit woman is completely covered with ulcers like those brought home by the sailors returning home ...
The statuette of a woman undergoing caesarean section was equally delighted with medical history researchers necessary due to eclampsia (eclampsia in labor). Was it possible that even then, in the ancient Latin American civilization, doctors knew ways to save the baby and the mother?
Faith and facts
Regardless of medical advances, the Aztecs considered diseases of all kinds to be from the gods. Certain mythical characters were even ascribed their "original" ailments!
For example, the goddess Tlazolteotl was responsible for convulsions, which is, according to specialists, most often epilepsy. The image of the disease corresponded to the image of the "perpetrator" of the misfortune herself, with twisted limbs and blood leaking from her mouth. Meanwhile, Xochipilli, the god of vegetation and fertility, punished people with venereal diseases and other ailments affecting the genitals. Similar practices were used by the terrible, ulcerated Xolotl-Nanauatzin on his "naughty" followers.
Chicomecoatl - Illustration from the Codex Maglabecchiano, 15th century
There were, of course, specific practices associated with such beliefs. Dissatisfied gods had to be appeased with appropriately large sacrifices in the form of corn, precious stones and gold, but also ... people. Xipetotec, responsible for all skin diseases, could, for example, be persuaded to lift the curse if the follower put on the skin taken from a captive during the spring festival. How this could have affected the ailment - it is not known, but a placebo is sometimes enough ...
The sick also prayed to the goddess of crops, Chicomecoatl, who was considered the central figure of the pantheon. She had, according to the Aztecs, the power to bring disease, but also to heal.
Pharmaceuticals and gum
Nicolás Monardes - a doctor from Seville - published in 1565 a book describing the medicine of the inhabitants of Mexico. He had tried several hundred drugs used among Indians before, and ... it turned out that many of them have very important healing properties!
For example, wolfberry has been used as a diuretic. The same plant was also useful for treating the rash and for gargling. Today we drink it often in medicinal teas.
Powdered obsidian was poured over the purulent wounds. Abscesses were cut through with a knife of the same material. It was common to stiffen the limbs in fractures, and even fill the bones with shavings of one of the types of pine trees when they did not want to heal. But how was such surgery done without advanced pain relievers? Well, it turns out that the Aztecs had plenty of these!
Nicolás Monardes
Here, peyote enters the scene, which acts like the "stupid joke" known today. After ingestion of the plant in drinkable form or dried pulp containing alkaloids, the intoxicated patient was easier to "handle". Peyote has a completely different effect on people who chew it, which, however, does not seem to be related to medical practice.
The ancient Mayan doctors were also able to make their patients feel good or stun their patients with appropriately selected doses of the drug from the toadstool nanacatl, or stimulate the potency with seeds of red colorines beans. The already known bulbous camotl, containing saponins, has an anesthetic effect. Finally, tobacco leaves have been widely used to calm down, smoked in the form of "cigars". The perfect strengthening was of course the popular cocoa, drunk with vanilla, pepper and honey.
The most shocking discovery, however, seems to be the set of rubber items found in Latin America by the 18th-century physician Pierre Barrère. Among them was a rubber infusion syringe, as well as a ball or puck. All this was done by the Indians from the sap of a suitable tree. Interestingly, only 300 years after the conquest of America, rubber was put into use in Europe ...
Bibliography:
- Frankowska M., Aztec mythology. Artistic and Film Publishers, Warsaw, 1987.
- Olko, J., Mexico before the conquest. Państwowy Instytut Wydawniczy, Warsaw, 2010.
- Thornwald, J., Ancient Medicine. Its secrets and power. Wydawnictwo Literackie, 2017.