industrial period

Edward Jenner

Developed the first successful vaccine for smallpox in 1796, proving vaccination worked and making smallpox vaccination compulsory in 1852.

James Simpson

Discovered chloroform as an anaesthetic in 1847, allowing longer and more complex surgeries.

Edwin Chadwick

Published 'Report on the Sanitary Conditions of the Labouring Population' in 1842, highlighting the need for clean water and proper sanitation.

John Snow

Investigated the 1854 cholera outbreak and demonstrated that cholera was spread through contaminated water, leading to the removal of the Broad Street pump handle.

Florence Nightingale

Improved hospital conditions during the Crimean War (1854-1856), reducing death rates from 40% to 2% through clean practices.

Louis Pasteur

Disproved spontaneous generation in 1861 and developed germ theory, pasteurisation, and vaccines for rabies and anthrax.

Joseph Lister

Applied germ theory to surgery in 1865, introducing antiseptic techniques that significantly reduced infection rates.

Robert Koch

Identified specific bacteria causing diseases like anthrax, tuberculosis, and cholera; developed methods for culturing bacteria.