Some of the most painful and tortuous illnesses are those of the mind. There are many cases of insanity in humans throughout history, some dating back to around 400 BC (PBS). These people were not considered humans, but rather animals. There have been several attempts to "cure" people like this, but most were inhumane and brutal forms of torture. Often, especially early in history, these people were locked away and treated as if their only purpose was to waste space. The way the mentally insane have been treated throughout history has been brutal and horrible. In the early years dating back to 400 BC. In ancient Egypt, Greece, India, and Rome, there are writings about mentally ill people described as “demonic possessed” (“Greeks). & Romans. "). For example, in the Stone Age, they believed that people were possessed by demons and they drilled a hole in the skull of the affected people to give the demons a way to exit the body. The ancient Egyptians felt the same way about demon-possessed mentally ill people, but instead of drilling a hole in the skull, they treated them physically with medicinal plants and things like that. (“Ancient Egypt.”) Yet in Greek civilizations, disorders of the mind would be considered dishonorable and those affected would most likely be avoided. There was, however, a mind that thought differently. Hippocrates was a well-known philosopher. He believed that the mentally ill suffered from a disease of the brain, rather than the popular belief that they had insulted and angered the gods. He completely disagreed with the treatment of the mentally ill and the punishments given to them, mainly because he believed they had nothing...... middle of paper ... Science and Treatments have made great strides toward improving treatments. The health and mental status of people with mental illness is improving and is expected to continue to improve. Works Cited “Ancient Egypt”. Treatment of the mentally ill. Np, nd Web. November 7, 2013. “Desperado Philosophy.” Desperado philosophy. Np, and Web. November 19, 2013. "Diseases of the Mind: Highlights of American Psychiatry to 1900 - Benjamin Rush." » United States National Library of Medicine. US National Library of Medicine, September 17, 2013. Web. Nov 18 2013. “Greeks and Romans.” Treatment of the mentally ill. Np, nd Web. November 7, 2013.PBS. PBS and Web. November 7, 2013. “The Stone Age. » Treatment of the mentally ill. Np, nd Web. November 7, 2013. "26d. Prison and Asylum Reform." Prison and asylum reform [ushistory.org]. Np, and Web. November 18. 2013.