Some of the most painful and torturous illnesses are those of the mind. There are many cases of insanity among humans throughout history, some dating back to around 400 BC (PBS). These people were not considered human, but were instead seen as animals. There have been several attempts to “cure” such people, but most were inhumane and brutal forms of torture. Many times, especially in the early days of history, these people were locked away and treated as if they had no purpose other than to waste space. The way mentally insane people were treated throughout history was brutal and horrific. In the early years dating back to 400 BC In ancient Egypt, Greece, India and Rome there are writings of mentally ill people described as "demon-possessed" ("Greeks & Romans."). For example, in the Stone Age, they believed that people were possessed by demons and would drill a hole in the affected person's skull to give the demons a way out of the body. The ancient Egyptians felt the same way about demon-possessed mentally ill people, but instead of drilling a hole in their skulls they physically cured them with herbal medicines and the like. ("Ancient Egypt.") However, in Greek civilizations, disorders of the mind would have been considered dishonorable, and those affected would most likely be shunned. There was, however, a mind that thought differently. Hippocrates was a very well-known philosopher. He believed that mentally ill people had a brain disease rather than the popular belief that they insulted and brought anger to the gods. He completely disagreed with the treatment of the mentally ill and the punishments inflicted on them, especially because he believed that they had n...... middle of paper ...... biology and treatment have made strides leaps and bounds towards improving care. The health and mental status of people with mental illnesses are improving and should continue to show improvements. Works Cited "Ancient Egypt". Treatment of the mentally ill. Np, nd Web. 07 November 2013. “Desperate Philosophy.” Desperate philosophy. Np, nd Web. November 19, 2013. "Diseases of the Mind: Highlights of American Psychiatry to 1900 - Benjamin Rush." United States National Library of Medicine. United States National Library of Medicine, September 17, 2013. Web. November 18, 2013."Greeks and Romans." Treatment of the mentally ill. Np, nd Web. 07 November 2013.PBS. PBS and Web. November 07, 2013."Stone Age." Treatment of the mentally ill. Np, nd Web. 07 November 2013."26d. Prison and asylum reform." Prison and asylum reform [ushistory.org]. Np, nd Web. 18November. 2013.