History of medicine in Cyprus
Many of the classical practices were well documented at the time by Greek or Roman physicians, and some therapies have originated from Cyprus itself.
Local doctors were commonly using frankincense, myrrh, olive oil, resins from trees, wormwood, bitter herbs in water, and mandrake.
They used a famous ‘poultice of figs’ to cure boils and the local healers had a concept of cleaning, washing and disinfecting the water.
[citation needed] Common diseases in Cyprus were those in every Mediterranean country, namely food poisoning, sun stroke, tuberculosis and polio.
They believed that Thymos was the life force present in all living organisms, Psyche was the soul, and the heart was where consciousness was located.
Originally the Cypriots were vegetarians consuming no meat at all, as it was forbidden to sacrifice living animals.
According to legend, Athena gave to Asclepius the blood from the Medusa, believed to have healing properties.
Material used by Greek physicians:[8] Apollodoros of Kition, recommended radish seeds in water against poisoning.
Byzantine physicians supported Christian philanthropy, with development of hospitals and organisations (nosokomeia, xenones), for the first time in medical history.
For earache they used warm olive oil and for trachoma they washed the eyes with urine or sambuca.
[16] The mammouthes (practical nurses) assisted during childbirth, and also used cupping (cazia) and venesection (vlotomes).
A local proverb for those who react excessively to a small problem, is "apou poni vathkia vlootoma" (he who has pain, venesects deeply).
[17] Also mentioned was a Byzantine trick: "In order to seduce a man put a few drops of menstrual blood in his coffee.
The Lusignians used affumications, herbs, astrology, venesections, cautery, purging, and pilgrimages to the saints.
A physician known as Mastre Gky (c1300), was probably Dr Guido de Pagnolo, an Italian living in Cyprus and personal friend of Petrarch.
King Pier I of France sent Mastre Gky to Genoa as an emissary to mediate and try to find a compromise on several political issues between the Genoese and Franks.
For example, The historian Macheras says that St Mamas is 'miraculous all over the world, and if I was going to write about his cures, I wouldn't be able to do it while alive".
Xatzi Georgios X Liasi Chalepli 1742 was a Cypriot, born in Beirut, but lived and practiced in Larnaca.
Drs Giuseppe Zambelli and Francesco A Patriarca (1794), from Naples, were working in Famagusta and then in Larnaca.
They had a written agreement to work together as partners in medicine and surgery, and to share the income for 10 years.
Dr Kostandinos Valsamaki (Varsamas) (1779) He was a descendant of Balsamina Doukaina, Iakobos Gabras, Alexandros Tsaphas Argyros.
Christoforo Castellani (1821) was an Italian, private physician to Kutchuk Mehmet, Governor of Cyprus.
The French Dr Joseph Irene Foblant 1839 was said that he used to put a coin under the pillow of poor patients, so that they could buy food.
Pavlos Pieridis Picozis (1815–1865), studied at the University of Edinburgh and was the personal physician to the governor of Cyprus.
From the decade commencing in 1830 both Muslim and Christian citizens of Cyprus became increasingly aware of the need to control public health.
An example is the fundraising in Larnaca in order to fund an institution to control disease outbreaks imported from shipping through the port.
[21] Nonetheless, there was, to all intents and purposes, no functioning state medical system in Cyprus under Ottoman rule.
The major cities of Cyprus were full of prostitutes to cater for the needs of the newly arrived British soldiers.
The municipalities used to keep a record and photographs of the prostitutes, asking them to have frequent medical examinations[citation needed].
