History of Medicine

Vocabulary flashcards covering key figures, concepts, and milestones from the History of Medicine as presented in the lecture notes.

Hippocratic Oath

Code of ethics for physicians.

Hippocrates

Often called the Father of medicine; associated with the Hippocratic Oath and medical ethics.

Egyptians

Ancient practitioners who kept health records.

Acupuncture

First used in China as a therapy involving needle insertions.

Aristotle

Greek philosopher who studied disease and anatomy; contributed to early dissection knowledge.

Galen

Roman physician who helped organize medical care and medical theory.

Dark Ages

Period when the study of medicine stagnated for about 1000 years; medicine practiced in monasteries.

Bubonic Plague

Medieval plague that caused high mortality during the Middle Ages.

Leonardo da Vinci

Renaissance figure who recorded and studied human anatomy.

Printing Press

Invention that enabled wider distribution of medical books and study.

William Harvey

Physician who described the heart’s pumping action and systemic circulation.

Anton van Leeuwenhoek

Inventor of the microscope; observed microorganisms.

Edward Jenner

Developer of the smallpox vaccination.

Benjamin Franklin

Contributed to electricity studies and invented bifocal lenses.

Ignaz Semmelweis

Introduced hand washing to prevent childbed fever and infections.

Rene Laennec

Inventor of the stethoscope.

Florence Nightingale

Founder of modern nursing and reformer of hospital care.

Clara Barton

Founded the American Red Cross.

Louis Pasteur

Developed pasteurization; improved safety of dairy products.

Joseph Lister

Pioneer of antiseptic surgery to prevent infection.

Robert Koch

Father of microbiology; identified pathogens.

Wilhelm Roentgen

Discovered X-rays.

Sigmund Freud

Pioneer in psychology and psychiatry.

Alexander Fleming

Discovered penicillin.

Jonas Salk

Developed the first safe polio vaccine (inactivated).

Albert Sabin

Developed the oral polio vaccine (live attenuated).

Stem cells

Cells with the ability to differentiate into various cell types; basis of regenerative medicine.

Transplants

Surgical transfer of organs or tissues from donor to recipient.

Prevention

Key strategy in health care to avoid disease and promote health.

Current trends in health care

Stem cell research, transplants, cures, with emphasis on prevention.