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Medicine in a Roman city

Peter R Mayall
Med J Aust 2015; 203 (2): . || doi: 10.5694/mja14.00346
Published online: 20 July 2015

The excavated city of Pompeii provides insight into medicine in first century CE Roman life

An examination of the archaeological sites and material at Pompeii related to medical treatment, including surgical instruments and other medical equipment, remnants of drugs and herbal medicines, evidence of traditional practices related to religion and the deities associated with healing and magic, as well as the human remains found, can provide some appreciation of how medical problems were dealt with in Roman society. Many of the medical instruments, procedures and medications used at that time would be familiar to modern practitioners.


  • Geelong, VIC.


Correspondence: mayallpeter@hotmail.com

Competing interests:

No relevant disclosures.

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