The BI(C)ger Picture with Lee Shaw: Modern Ebola and Ancient Incantations

What could the citizens of modern West Africa and our favorite Greek heroes from the Mycenaean Age have in common? Unfortunately, both of these populations have been afflicted with severe illnesses that their respective cultural practices have helped to spread. The good news, however, is that modern medicine has a much greater potential to fight disease than that of the mystical “medical” practices of old.

As I’m sure many of you know, the recent breakout and spread of Ebola in West Africa has been a prominent headline for the past few weeks. According to the CDC, “Ebola, previously known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever, is a rare and deadly disease caused by infection with one of the Ebola virus strains” and is spread “ . . . through direct contact (through broken skin or mucous membranes in, for example, the eyes, nose, or mouth) with blood or bodily fluids, infected animals, and objects (like needles) that have been contaminated with the virus.” When one looks at how quickly the virus has spread through Africa, even reaching the United States in my hometown of Dallas, he or she might initially think that this virus is extremely infectious and is a serious cause for concern.

The truth, however, is that the current culture of the people in West Africa has abetted the spread of Ebola. West Africans maintain a culture that, much like that of the ancient Greeks, emphasizes the importance of hospitality and kinship. Despite the spread of this disease, these people have continued to trade with, embrace, and remain in close contact with each other, not realizing that such practices encourage the spread of the virus. This disease is not spread through water or air, but from animal to person then person to person, and so on. In response to this virus, the United States, among other nations, has started building medical centers in the afflicted areas of West Africa that are meant to stop the spread of the disease. When treating the infected, medical professionals wear sterile suits with a laminate cover, as well as gloves, goggles, masks, respirators, aprons, and boots, meant to make the body impervious to the contaminated fluids of those already infected. In collaboration with modern medicine, education is the next best means to fight the spread of Ebola. Medical professionals are encouraging those to report their symptoms early on, and avoid other people if they begin to feel sick. According to the CDC, simple masks and gloves as well as covering any open wounds can help a great deal to stop the spread.

Without the aid of modern medicine, we might have concluded that this virus was due to the wrath of the gods or the presence of demons. Even though Ebola has spread rapidly, modern medical practices can tell us why and how to prevent it from continuing on. In the Mycenaean Age, however, when Achilles and Odysseus made names for themselves, the majority of the ancient Greeks’ medical practices involved spiritual remedies involving incantations, prayers, exorcisms, and the occasional ritual surgery such as non-therapeutic trepanation in extreme cases (this is a fancy way of saying ‘to drill a big hole in the skull’). BIC freshmen have a great example of such practices from our recent reading in The Odyssey. In Book 19, Odysseus recalls his encounter with a wild boar on a hunting trip. While he ends up killing the beast, it slashes his leg, resulting in the scar that his wife and maid would notice later upon his homecoming. After he killed the boar, Homer explains, “Autolycus’ sons took care of the carcass/ And tended to the wound of the flawless Odysseus,/ Skillfully binding it and staunching the blood/ By chanting a spell (Odyssey 19. 498-501). As such, disease had no trouble spreading during this time, as the Greeks did not know the true cause of disease and thus had no way to stop the spread. Of course, their culture of hospitality further aided the spread of such diseases, as even if your guest is coughing and acting strangely, he still deserves some wine.

Thankfully, with the help of modern medicine and health information, the spread of Ebola will be slowed and may eventually be eradicated. What the Greeks sought to understand through spirituality, we have come to understand through medicine and science. There are many organizations that are accepting donations to help those infected with Ebola in West Africa; I have included links to a few below. The best way to fight this virus is to stay educated – don’t mope around like Achilles – stay healthy!

Questions? Comments? Suggestions? All are welcome! Email me at Lee_Shaw@baylor.edu

Further reading on the Disease in the Mycenaean Age:

http://www.ancient.eu/Trephination/

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1295778/pdf/jrsocmed00055-0029.pdf

http://europepmc.org/backend/ptpmcrender.fcgi?accid=PMC1295778&blobtype=pdf

Further reading on the recent breakout of Ebola:

http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/transmission/index.html

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-26835233

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/03/us/us-effort-in-liberia-barely-gets-on-the-ground.html?action=click&contentCollection=U.S.&module=RelatedCoverage&region=Marginalia&pgtype=article

http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/outbreaks/2014-west-africa/united-states-imported-case.html

http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/27/world/ebola-virus-explainer/

http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/11/health/ebola-fast-facts/