GCSE History: Every Key Individual in Medicine & Public Health (2018)

Hippocrates

Known as the Father of Modern Medicine, Hippocrates believed that the body is made up of four liquids:phlegm, blood, yellow bile, and black bile. He emphasized the importance of observation, rest, and exercise in leading a healthy lifestyle.

Galen

Galen developed the ideas put forth by Hippocrates and introduced the theory of treating imbalanced humors with the treatments of opposites. He encouraged dissection and made anatomical mistakes in his experiments.

Andreas Vesalius

Vesalius published "On the Fabric of the Human Body," which provided a detailed anatomical layout of the human body based on human dissection. This book proved Galen wrong and spread Vesalius' ideas throughout Europe.

William Harvey

Harvey disproved Galen's ideas about blood by proving that it is pumped around the body by the heart. He conducted experiments on cold-blooded animals and argued against treatments like bloodletting.

Thomas Sydenham

Known as the English Hippocrates, Sydenham encouraged observation and the use of natural remedies. He suggested exercise in moderation and that doctors should visit patients rather than the other way around. He advocated for minimal intervention in treatment.

Vaccinations

A method of preventing disease by introducing a weakened or small form of the disease into the body to stimulate an immune response.

Edward Jenner

A small-time country doctor who discovered vaccinations and their effectiveness in preventing disease.

Florence Nightingale

A nurse who revolutionized nursing practices and improved hospital conditions during the Crimean War.

Antiseptics

Substances used to prevent the growth of disease-causing microorganisms.

Louis Pasteur

A scientist who proved the existence of germs in the air and their role in causing disease.

Joseph Lister

A surgeon who introduced the use of carbolic acid as an antiseptic to reduce the risk of infection during surgeries.

Robert Koch

A scientist who linked specific diseases to the microbes that caused them and developed methods to identify and target these germs.

John Snow

A physician who discovered the connection between contaminated water and the spread of cholera.

Edwin Chadwick

A social reformer who advocated for proper drainage and sewerage systems to improve public health.

James Simpson

A doctor who discovered the effects of chloroform as an anesthetic during surgeries.

Alexander Fleming

Scottish scientist who discovered penicillin by chance when he noticed that Staphylococcus bacteria had stopped growing in his laboratory.

Penicillin

Antibiotic discovered by Alexander Fleming, initially believed to be a natural antiseptic.

Florey and Chain

Scientists who found a way to purify penicillin and played a crucial role in its mass production.

Sir William Beveridge

British economist and social reformer who authored a report in 1942 suggesting ways to improve the quality of life and advocated for the government's role in Social Security.

National Health Service (NHS)

Introduced in 1948 by Naiya Bevin and the Labour Party, it provided free medical care at the point of consumption, paid for by taxation.

Francis Crick and Jane Watson

Scientists who discovered the double helical structure of DNA in 1953, revolutionizing our understanding of hereditary diseases.