Modern medicine

What discoveries have been made about DNA?

• Rosalind Franklin - used X-rays to take images of DNA in 1950s, showing structure and composition

• 1953 - discovered double helix structure of DNA

• Helped to understand causes of some diseases, new field of treatments based on structure and compositon of DNA

What developments have been made in surgery?

• 1967 - Christiaan Barnard carried out world’s first heart transplant

• 2000s - partial and full face transplants

• Laser surgery - eyes, cancer and bleeding

• Keyhole surgery - microscopic cameras inserted into cut, reduces infection and speeds up recover times

What treatments have been developed?

• IVF - first successful in England in 1978

• New vaccines - HPV routinely offered to young people, reducing chance of developing certain caincers

What are some examples of alternative and complementary medicines?

• Acupuncture - needles for pain relief

• Yoga

• Hypnotherapy - relaxation and thought processing to change behaviour or deal with challenges

• Herbal remedies - pain, low immune system and mental health

How have scanning techniques developed in modern medicine?

• X-rays - late 1890s by Rontgen, looked for shrapnel within body during WW1, more precise whilst preventing infections or blood loss

• WW1 - Marie Curie enabled 200 xray units into field hospitals

• Ultrasound - used in 1950s by Ian Donald to view internal tumours and organs, incorporated into hospitals as they did not contain radiation

• External ultrasound for pregnancy screenings, internal for magnified view of organ, endoscopic to explore stomachs

• CT scans in 1970s - multiple xrays for tumours

• MRIs in 1980s - tumours, strokes, inflammation

How was plastic surgery developed in the 20th century?

• WW1 - many soldiers disfigured

• Gillies - military surgeon who treated over 2000 soldiers, new skin graft technique leaving veins attached to removed skin (pedicle) so could be reattached with blood supply

• McIndoe - one of 3 experienced UK plastic surgeons in 1939, civilian surgeon and focused on airman’s burns (hands and faces), duty of care that extended beyond surgery

• Founded British Association of Plastic Surgeons, Guinea Pig Club of patients

• Wood - made facial masks for soldiers

What was the importance of Christian Barnard?

• 1967 - first heart transplant, died of pneumonia

• Lowered dose of anti-rejection drugs to maintain immunity

• 1974 - cyclosporine used as anti-rejection drug

• New drugs increases chance of survival

Cool technology

• Electrocardiograph in 1903 - monitor heart

• 1943 - artificial kidney machine

• 3D printing - more affordable hearing aids, braces and prosthetics

• Da Vinci Surgical System

• Blood transfusions - during WWI sodium citrate used to stop clotting of donated blood

What was the importance of Hanger?

• Designed better prosthetic limbs

Liberal reforms

• Reports by Booth and Rowntree highlighted links between poverty and ill-health

• Booth found 35% of population living in poverty

• 1867 Reform Act - working men vote, liberal party strategy to maintain support of working-class voters

• National Insurance Act 1911 - worker, employer and government needs to pay sickness fund

Opposition to Liberal reforms?

• Labour - more for women who are less likely to benefit from National Insurance, higher pension

• Conservative - too dependent on given aid and support, cost to taxpayers

What were the effects of evacuation in WW2?

• 3 million children moved to countryside, rural people shocked at levels of poverty from urban children

Living conditions post war

• 1930s - slum areas cleared, 700,000 new homes built and council houses

• 1942 - Beveridge Report, 5 giants of ignorance, idleness, disease, want and squalor

• 1946 New Towns Act - replacement of slums with better quality housing, green belts

• 1955 - polio vaccination, scepticism gradually reduced

NHS

• Unemployment rose in 1930s, many excluded from NIS

• Public opinion shifted away from laissez-faire

• NHS 5th July 1948 - free, but paid for by tax and national insurance

• Life expectancy increased - 8 million could not afford doctor previously

Opposition to NHS

• General Medical Council feared feared they would lose business

• Councils objected to centralised control of health

• Not in peoples duty to provide for others