History of Medicine: Key Developments and Figures

What were the main causes of diseases during the Medieval period (1250-1500)?

Diseases were believed to be sent by God as punishment for sins, caused by miasma (bad air), astrology, and unbalanced four humours.

What treatments were commonly used in the Medieval period (1250-1500)?

Treatments included the theory of opposites, balancing the four humours, repenting sins, pilgrimages, purifying the air, herbal remedies, and urine charts.

What were the prevention methods during the Medieval period (1250-1500)?

Prevention methods included praying, having no sins, regimen sanitatis, purifying the air, maintaining a good diet, and keeping clean.

Who were some key individuals in Medieval medicine?

Key individuals included Hippocrates, Galen, physicians, barber surgeons, wise women, apothecaries, and the church.

What was the role of the church in Medieval medicine?

The church had significant power and influence, many people learned from it, and most hospitals were set up and run by monasteries.

What was the Black Death and its impact on Britain?

The Black Death was a series of plagues that arrived in Britain in 1348, killing about 1/3 of the population, with causes believed to be divine punishment, miasma, or unbalanced humours.

What were the causes of diseases during the Renaissance (1500-1700)?

Causes included unbalanced four humours, miasma, factors outside the human body (e.g., temperature), and animalcules (bacteria).

What treatments were used during the Renaissance (1500-1700)?

Treatments included herbal remedies, observations, transference, bleeding, purging, sweating, pest houses, and balancing the four humours.

What were the prevention methods during the Renaissance (1500-1700)?

Prevention focused on cleanliness, regimen sanitatis, smoking, moving away from disease areas, and using new instruments.

Who were some key individuals in Renaissance medicine?

Key individuals included William Harvey, Andreas Vesalius, Thomas Sydenham, and Robert Hooke.

What was the significance of the printing press during the Renaissance?

The printing press allowed new ideas to be spread, reducing the church's power and influence.

What did Vesalius and Sydenham contribute to medicine?

Vesalius emphasized direct observation and wrote anatomy books, while Sydenham classified diseases based on symptoms and wrote 'Medical Observations'.

What was William Harvey's major discovery?

William Harvey discovered the circulation of blood, challenging previous beliefs about blood types.

What was the Great Plague and its effects on London?

The Great Plague struck London in 1665, killing about 100,000 people, with treatments including lucky charms, praying, and bloodletting, while prevention involved quarantine.

What were the causes of diseases during the Industrial period (1700-1900)?

Causes included germ theory, waste and smell, and the spread of diseases and germs.

What treatments were developed during the Industrial period (1700-1900)?

Treatments included surgeries, amputation, antiseptics, anaesthetics, and the establishment of hospitals.

What were the prevention methods during the Industrial period (1700-1900)?

Prevention methods included vaccinations, cleanliness, public health acts, and government regulations.

Who were some key individuals in Industrial medicine?

Key individuals included Pasteur, Koch, Lister, Simpson, Nightingale, Jenner, Chadwick, and Snow.

What impact did Florence Nightingale have on nursing?

Florence Nightingale significantly advanced nursing practices and improved hospital conditions.

What was Edward Jenner's contribution to vaccinations?

Jenner discovered the link between smallpox and cowpox, leading to the development of the smallpox vaccine.

What was the cholera epidemic in London and its resolution?

Cholera reached Britain in 1831, causing over 21,000 deaths in 1832; John Snow linked it to contaminated water and removed a pump handle to end an outbreak.

What were the causes of diseases in the Modern period (1900-present)?

Causes include lifestyle factors, DNA, human genome, hereditary diseases, genetics, and germs.

What treatments are available in the Modern period (1900-present)?

Treatments include NHS services, antibiotics, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, transplants, X-rays, surgery, and magic bullets.

What are some prevention methods in the Modern period (1900-present)?

Prevention methods include vaccines, laws, healthy lifestyles, CT scans, NHS, and quarantine.

Who were some key individuals in Modern medicine?

Key individuals include Watson, Crick, Fleming, Florey, Chain, and government officials.

What was the significance of the Human Genome Project?

The Human Genome Project, initiated in 1990, aimed to map all human genes, advancing genetics and medicine.

What is the link between smoking and lung cancer?

90% of lung cancer cases are linked to tobacco smoking, with significant findings made by Richard Doll and Austin Bradford Hill in 1950.

What measures were taken against smoking in public places?

In recent years, there has been a ban on smoking in public places and a ban on cigarette adverts from television in 1965.