Medical science has been a core part of research and development of the world for many years. In one way or another, treatment against disease and injury has always been seen all over the world. I think that the ultimate purpose of medicine is to prevent human suffering. It seems as though there are two fundamental kinds of suffering: physical and mental, with a third category being what I will call emotional.
Physical suffering is self-explanatory. It mainly involves the body and its structure. Mental suffering, on the other hand, can essentially be broken down into two categories: that which does not involve emotions and that which does. Physical suffering that does not involve emotions is fairly easy to deal with. It just involves the body and its structure, which I have already discussed in my response about the ultimate purpose of medicine. Some people feel indifferent about this condition and the physical issues amalgamate into daily life.
Mental suffering that does not involve emotions is also another form medical treatment. It involves the mind and its structure, which I have already outlined in my response about the ultimate purpose of medicine. I would say that it is only within last century that society has placed emphasis on treatment of mental suffering.
Emotional suffering is the only category of mental suffering that one can experience without having to be aware of it. Other kinds of mental suffering are things like anxiety, pain, hatred, and so on. Emotional suffering is perhaps the most difficult to deal with, but it is also the easiest for people to bear. It seems that emotional suffering can almost slip by one's attention entirely if they are too distracted or not paying enough close attention. Regardless of the suffering, society’s understanding of itself has played a key role in shaping medicine and the science behind it.