Inca Medicine

By: Rasmus

The Inca had many types of herbs and mineral, which were used to cure disease. Aside from the herbs and minerals, magic spells and prayers were also used in remedies. The Incas believed that supernatural forces were the cause of all sickness. In addition, committing crimes was also believed to cause disease.

During the Incan Era, doctors were very respected and had to be skilled and well trained. To become a doctor, one’s father was most likely one, and took him as his apprentice only if he was bright enough. The apprentice was sent to Cuzco, the Incan capital, where he was to study medicine. Known as the bearers of wisdom and knowledge in the Incan civilization, the Amoutas taught the apprentices all they needed to know. This included learning and recognizing the different types of diseases, how to cure them, the properties of herbs and minerals, and the quantity of the remedies. School could last from three to five years depending on the skill of the student. When finished with school, the students had to practice many years before becoming a doctor.

There were three types of doctors in the Incan Era. The Watukk was the doctor whose job was to determine the disease of the patient and its origin. To help determine the origin of the disease, the Watukk interpreted the daily life of the patient. The Hanpeq was the doctor whose job was to use his knowledge of medicine to mix the herbs and minerals to create the medicine necessary to cure the patient. The Paqo was the last doctor and his job was to treat the soul of the patient and also the reactions to the treatment of the Hanpeq. All of these three doctors were essential to the remedies performed on the patients.

One of the most intricate treatments was the brain surgery that still overwhelms historians and doctors today. In brain surgery, the doctors cut a large whole in the side of the skull to decrease fluid build-up. Surprisingly, there was an 80-90% survival rate for skull surgeries in the Incan Era. Incredibly, the sewing process was so precise that cases of infections were almost unheard of. Apart from skull surgery, the Incas had many other types of treatments. They knew how to cure respiratory problems, such as cough or bronchitis, cure urinary tract infections, and even problems in the gastrointestinal system, which is known as the digestive system.

Coca leaves were very important to Incan medicine. The leaves could be chewed to give extra energy and not feel huger, which was helpful during the work in the high altitudes and during fasts. In addition, coca leaves were also used as an anesthetic when chewed as it gave numbness in the tongue, cheeks, throat, and lower abdominal tract. Because of this, doctors told patients to chew the leaves to fight headaches, toothaches, and intestinal cramps among others.

Resources:

"Coca: Sacred Leaf of the Incas." HubPages. N.p., 20 Jan. 2010. Web. 20 Jan.

     2010. <http://hubpages.com/hub/Coda-sacred-leaf-of-the-Incas>.

"Inca Empire." Wikipedia. N.p., 20 Jan. 2010. Web. 20 Jan. 2010.

     <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inca_Empire>.

"Inca Medicine." Peru Travel Confidential. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Jan. 2010.

     <http://www.peru-travel-confidential.com/inca-medicine.html>.

"Incan Healing." Wilkasara. N.p., 2008. Web. 20 Jan. 2010.

     <http://www.willkasara.com/healing.html>.

Images:

Trepanation Inca Skull. N.d. JPEG file.

Inca Doctor. N.d. JPEG file.