History - Medicine through Time

Medieval Medicine (c.1000 - c.1500) -

What were the four humours?

Blood, phlegm, yellow bile, + black bile - believed to affect health + personality.

Medieval Medicine (c.1000 - c.1500) -

Who was Galen?

A Roman doctor whose ideas (especially about anatomy + the four humours) dominated medieval medicine.

Medieval Medicine (c.1000 - c.1500) -

What role did the Church play in medicine?

The Church controlled medical learning, promoted Galen’s work, + discouraged dissection.

Medieval Medicine (c.1000 - c.1500) -

How was disease treated in medieval times?

Through herbal remedies, prayer, bloodletting, + purging.

Medieval Medicine (c.1000 - c.1500) -

What was the Black Death (1348) + its believed causes?

A devastating plague; people blamed miasma, punishment from God, + imbalance of humours.

Renaissance Medicine (c.1500–c.1700) -

How did medical understanding begin to change during the Renaissance?

Increased emphasis on observation, experimentation, + anatomy (inspired by humanism).

Renaissance Medicine (c.1500–c.1700) -

Who was Andreas Vesalius?

A pioneer in anatomy who challenged Galen by dissecting human bodies.

Renaissance Medicine (c.1500–c.1700) -

What did William Harvey discover?

The circulation of blood; he proved the heart pumped blood around the body.

Renaissance Medicine (c.1500–c.1700) -

What role did printing play in medical progress?

Allowed ideas to spread more widely + challenged Church dominance.

Renaissance Medicine (c.1500–c.1700) -

Did treatment methods change much?

Not significantly - many traditional methods continued alongside new ideas.

18th & 19th Century Medicine (c.1700–c.1900) -

What did Edward Jenner discover?

The smallpox vaccine using cowpox; first scientific vaccination (1796).

18th & 19th Century Medicine (c.1700–c.1900) -

Why was there opposition to Jenner?

People distrusted vaccines, + some felt it interfered w/ God’s plan.

18th & 19th Century Medicine (c.1700–c.1900) -

What did Louis Pasteur develop?

Germ Theory (1861), proving microbes caused disease.

18th & 19th Century Medicine (c.1700–c.1900) -

Who was Robert Koch?

Built on Germ Theory by identifying specific bacteria causing diseases like TB + cholera.

18th & 19th Century Medicine (c.1700–c.1900) -

What changes occurred in surgery?

Development of anaesthetics (chloroform) + antiseptics (Lister + carbolic acid).

18th & 19th Century Medicine (c.1700–c.1900) -

How did public health improve in the 19th century?

Introduction of sewer systems, clean water, + the Public Health Acts (especially 1875).

Modern Medicine (c.1900–Present) -

How did understanding of genetics improve medicine?

Discovery of DNA (1953) by Watson + Crick led to better understanding of hereditary diseases.

Modern Medicine (c.1900–Present) -

What are antibiotics + who discovered them?

Drugs that kill bacteria; Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin (1928), later mass-produced.

Modern Medicine (c.1900–Present) -

What role did government play in modern medicine?

NHS founded in 1948; more public funding for research, treatment, + vaccinations.

Modern Medicine (c.1900–Present) -

What technological advances improved medicine?

MRI scans, CT scans, keyhole surgery, radiation therapy,

Modern Medicine (c.1900–Present) -

How has medicine changed in terms of prevention?

Focus on lifestyle factors, vaccination campaigns, + health education.

Themes Across Time -

What factors influenced change in medicine?

Individuals, government, science & technology, war, religion, chance, + communication.

Themes Across Time -

What was continuity in treatment across time?

Herbal remedies, belief in supernatural causes, + lack of knowledge about causes until Germ Theory.

Themes Across Time -

What is the significance of the NHS?

Provided free healthcare for all, marking a huge shift in access to medical treatment.