Medicine Through Time - GCSE History

Galen

Ancient Greek physician whose works heavily influenced medieval medicine.

Monasteries

Religious institutions that provided medical care and education during the Middle Ages.

Four Humours Theory

Belief that illness stemmed from an imbalance of blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile.

Hippocrates

Ancient Greek physician known as the 'Father of Medicine' whose works were rediscovered in medieval times.

Astrology

Belief that celestial bodies influence human health and were consulted for medical treatments.

Supernatural Treatments

Medical practices involving prayers, pilgrimages, and superstitious beliefs in curing illnesses.

Surgery Demand

Increased need for surgical procedures due to warfare in the Middle Ages.

Public Health

Lacked proper sanitation, leading to waste disposal issues and reliance on beer over water for health.

Black Death

Deadly pandemic in the 14th century spread by fleas, causing sudden death and quarantine measures.

Miasma

Belief that foul air caused diseases, leading to practices like burning herbs to purify the air.

Andreas Vesalius

Renaissance anatomist who challenged Galen's anatomical errors through dissections.

Ambroise Paré

Innovative battlefield surgeon who introduced ligatures and disproved traditional treatments.

William Harvey

Discovered blood circulation, distinguishing between arteries and veins, revolutionizing medical understanding.

Blood Groups

Discovered in 1901, crucial for successful blood transfusions.

Great Plague of 1665

Worst reoccurrence of the Black Death, with about 100,000 deaths in London.

Public Health Efforts

Included quarantine measures, mass burials, and realization of contagious diseases.

The Great Fire of London

In 1666, sterilized parts of London, killing plague bacteria.

Factors Affecting Medicine Progress

Printing press, church's weakening power, artists' medical drawings, renewed interest in ancient learning.

Edward Jenner

Introduced smallpox vaccination using cowpox, proving immunity.

Florence Nightingale

Revolutionized nursing, improved hygiene, and reduced death rates.

Mary Seacole

Self-financed nurse in Crimean War, built 'British Hotel,' and wrote an autobiography.

Louis Pasteur's Germ Theory

Disproved spontaneous generation, identified germs as cause of disease.

Robert Koch

Linked specific diseases to microbes, identified anthrax, tuberculosis, and cholera causes.

Louis Pasteur - Chicken Cholera Vaccine

Accidental discovery of weakened cholera immunity in chickens.

Louis Pasteur - Anthrax Vaccine

Produced a weakened anthrax spore for sheep immunity.

Surgery Problems in 1800

Pain, infection, bleeding were major dangers due to lack of understanding of microbes.

Nitrous Oxide

Discovered by Sir Humphry Davy, used as anesthesia in surgery.

Ether

Used by J.R. Liston during surgery, had unpleasant side effects.

Chloroform

Used by James Simpson for surgery, led to unexplained deaths.

Anaesthetics Opposition

Reasons include discomfort, belief in pain for healing, lack of understanding.

Queen Victoria

Accepted chloroform during childbirth, leading to anaesthetic acceptance.

Germ Theory

Surgeons didn't sterilize equipment before 1850s, leading to infections.

Joseph Lister

Introduced antiseptics, inspired by Pasteur's germ theory.

Aseptic Surgery

Lister's methods led to germ-free surgeries by late 1890s.

Public Health Problems

Poor conditions in towns led to disease spread in the 1800s.

Laissez-faire

Belief that the government should not interfere in public health.

Edwin Chadwick

Advocated for public health reforms in the 1800s.

1848 Public Health Act

Passed after cholera outbreak, encouraged local improvements.

John Snow

Linked cholera to water supply, leading to public health improvements.

Great Stink

1858 event prompting sewage system improvements in London.

Second Reform Act

1867 act granting working-class men voting rights.

1875 Public Health Act

Forced local authorities to provide clean water and proper drainage.

Louis Pasteur

Published germ theory in 1861, linking dirt to disease.

Working-class men

Gained the vote in 1867, influencing public health reforms.

Statistics publication

Government shared death rate data to prompt action in unhealthy towns.

Cholera outbreak

1865 outbreak led to action due to John Snow's findings on dirty water.

Public Health Act of 1875

Enforced sanitation, improved housing, and regulated food and education.

X-ray development

First confirmed in importance during WWI for bullet removal.

Blood transfusions

Karl Landsteiner's blood group discovery improved success rates.

Penicillin discovery

Fleming's chance finding led to the identification of penicillin.

Penicillin development

Florey and Chain's research led to mass production during WWII.

National Health Service

Introduced post-WWII, providing state healthcare from birth to death.