The ancient Greeks believed in the ability of the dogs to heal many human diseases. At one time, the dogs as the sacred animal of Apollo, god of the sun and the Supreme Healer, were sacrificed, begging at the deity the cure of diseases. Then the practice was discontinued, but the dogs began to be present at the performance of religious rites in the temples of Asclepius (Aesculapius), the god of medicine.
They were called "temple dogs", the animals were not usually large, which lay or walked among the worshipers, licking the wounds in patients. To our time, the writings have survived indicating that these ancient dog-healers were able to make the most miracles. One of these writings says: "A child of Aegina suffered from swelling on the neck, but the temple-dog healed him with the help of its tongue ..." With the advent of Christianity, this practice has been discontinued, but the dogs continued to be close to some people.
After a significant break, dogs were again used for the treatment of patients. In 1790, in the county of Yorkshire (England) a hospital for the mentally ill people was founded, where the main "medicine" were dogs. According to the doctors, the patients lost increased aggression due to the animals: the number of seizures reduced, they became more sociable. In 1865, a similar hospital for people with epilepsy was opened in the town of Bethel, Germany. Only in the twentieth century, a new craze in medicine came to the US, where the animals were used for treatment in 1919. Especially successfully passed treatment with dogs among veterans of the First World War. Animals helped patients to get round more quickly from the shock, concussion, to heal the emotional shock from the war. Modern science has been perceived as a fact the contact of the dog with a man improves the latter virtually all indicators of physical and mental health. The love and devotion of the dog to its owner are well known: very often, the animal helps the owner to survive the most terrible grief, resist the blows of fate. As the scientists state, dog owners have practically no depression. Treatment with dogs is called canis therapy (from the Latin canis - dog).
Now, doctors often recommend to get a dog for people who have lost a loved one, the patients with functional heart disease, and families with nervous children. Workers at Cambridge University carried out an interesting study. They managed to establish that large dogs have a high activity of heart alpha rhythm. Because of this, these dogs can even replace a pacemaker! According to scientists, people suffering from heart failure, have to keep their hands on the dog's heart at least half an hour a day to achieve a positive effect. A dog can do wonders with its tongue; its saliva contains lysozyme, a special disinfectant, it helps rapid healing. Perhaps, the saliva contains something else, and the process of wound licking is a kind of micro-massage, at least in the tongue abilities of the dog, the American, Mitch Bonham, convinced by example. Because of the injury in the Navy, his leg began to blacken. Bonham threatened at best, a very serious surgery, and at worst an amputation, but then his dog,
Milo, got on the stick. For a week for four hours a day, he was licking the injured leg of his master, and a miracle happened: the nerves and muscles of the legs have recovered, the blackness has disappeared, and there was not a need for the surgery. The dogs help the blind to move down the street; in advance warn the epilepsy patients with occurring seizures and even manage to find emerging tumors, thus saving their lives. According to bioenergotherapists, if cats remove people's negative energy, then the dogs cultivate positive energy. Black dogs are able to harmonize energy in the whole house, and fiery red have the ability to affect the greatest amount of energy. Amazingly, scientists say that even the breath of the dog is healing! Its rapid breathing fills the room a kind of antiseptic, so those who have a dog less suffer from infectious diseases, in addition, have a higher immunity. Unlike cats, a dog has to walk so its owners in any weather get fresh air and exercise, which is a very positive impact on their health.