The incubator used for babies emerged in the mid or late nineteenth century as a chamber that creates an environment with adequate humidity and temperature for the growth of a premature newborn. At present, these devices reach great complexity, however, this concept existed long before.
So much so that we go back to the uncertain origin of the myths. In the ancient myths there are many concepts and many bases of our society, some as a "premonition", others because they have remained more or less unchanged throughout the centuries.
Doctors from the Agios Savvas Oncology Hospital in Athens presented a study some time ago in which they argued that the old myth of the birth of Dionysus, the god of wine, and how he was taken care of at his premature birth, contains the description of what we know today as incubators.
According to the myth, Dionysus was born prematurely in the sixth month of gestation and with very little weight. Although there are several versions, there is one that tells that the god Hermes took him to Nisa, where he was taken care of by the Hyades, the nymphs of the warm rain.
They put it in a cave, which had all the requirements of an incubator: a filter for air, double fodder and protection against drafts. The natural elements would fulfill the function of the modern incubator technique.
Thus, the air filter was formed by pine trees planted by the Hyades at the entrance of the cavern. The double lining was the branches of a virgin grapevine, and a cover of ivy leaves isolated the baby from the air currents. These elements, combined, serve to maintain a warm and slightly humid environment, that is, the ideal for a newborn.
Many centuries later, and after using the first these special cameras for animals, This concept collected in the ancient Greek myths would be used to create incubators for premature babies They have arrived and evolved to the present.
