Conclusion
This project has been a wonderful
and incredible educational experience for me the past couple of months.
There are several things I have learned. First, I have
accumulated a working foundation of knowledge about the history of
pharmaceutical practices. I have been able to answer all of the
questions I first asked myself in my Introduction.
1. How
did pharmaceutical practices developed in history? Pharmaceutical
practices developed through the discovery of medicine and its healing
power through the influence of important scientists.
2. Who started it
all? According to my researcher, ashipu and asu in ancient Egypt
and Mesopotamia were the first "pharmacists"and official healers of
medicine.
3. Who were some of
the
key thinkers and founders? Hippocratics, Discrodies, Paracelsus, Nicolas Monardes, and Doctor Chanca were a few of the
important key thinkers and founders in the history of pharmacy.
4. To what
extent were medicines
used? Medicines have evidently always been extensively used,
usually available in some form to most people. There has always been
some sort of list that details certain known medicines or drugs and
their uses throughout time periods.
6. How did education play a part? Education played a
crucial role in the development of pharmacy as its own practice,
separate from other medical fields, and in its progression towards
professionalism during the medieval period.
7. How did practices in history compare with our modern day practices
of
24 - hour pharmacies like Walgreens? Ancient through early modern
medicine was actually not so primitive as one might believe. Of course,
there were no drive - through windows or twenty minute pickup
times, however, they did have established procedures and guidelines as
well as rules and regulations about practicing medicine.
Second, I have learned
introductory tools and methods on how to build a website. This has been
my first opportunity to publish a website. I think knowing how to
format and publish a web page is an ever increasingly important ability
as our society relies more and more heavily on the Internet.
Although publishing a website for a final project was a unique
assignment for a history of science class, it was actually a rewarding
and enriching experience.
Finally, and I believe most
importantly, I have gained a greater appreciation for not only our
modern day pharmacy, but also a greater appreciation and respect for
the generations of people who influenced the history of pharmacy and
molded it into what it is today. It has also warned me to think
twice about accepting as fact stereotypes and everything I have
assumed, or been taught,
about history as a child.
On some of the feedback I received from other students in this History
of Science class on my project, one of them asked me if pharmacy or
medicine was my
desired career goal. I had mentioned in my Introduction
that this
project would help me in my chosen career field. I do want to work in
medicine somewhat - as a psychiatrist.