History of Medicine Lecture Notes

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and concepts from lecture notes on the history of medicine, from primitive times to the modern era, detailing discoveries, medical practices, and significant figures across different civilizations and eras.

Morphine

A discovery from herbs and plants used as medicine during Primitive Times.

Ancient Egyptians (Medical Practices)

Practices based on magic and religion; responsible for designing structured procedures and keeping accurate health records; physicians could be executed if a patient died during a new procedure.

Imhotep

Considered the first physician, active during Ancient Egyptian times.

Babylonians (Medical Practices)

Similar practices to Egyptians; physicians were paid for services but punished if a patient died; characterized by poor sanitation and hygiene.

Responsible for creating hospitals with nurses, trained for surgery (e.g., cataracts and plastic surgery), had knowledge of anesthesia, and developed sanitary working conditions with drains and underground water pipe systems (sewers).

Ancient Hindus (Medical Practices)

Documented over 1000 medical herbs and established acupuncture.

Ancient Chinese (Medical Practices)

A medical practice established by the Ancient Chinese, often associated with documented medical herbs.

Acupuncture

Hippocrates

Known as the 'Father of Medicine' during Ancient Greek times; stressed observation and note-taking; taught disease resulted from natural causes, not supernatural; developed the Hippocratic Oath.

An ethical guide for physicians, developed by Hippocrates.

Hippocratic Oath

Aristotle

Ancient Greek philosopher who developed the field of anatomy by dissecting animals.

Ancient Romans (Initial Medical Beliefs)

After conquering Greece, they returned to the belief in supernatural causes of illness.

Ancient World (Medical Beliefs)

The majority of people believed sickness was directly linked to a supernatural being and could only be cured through obedience, prayer, and religious rites.

Contributed to pharmacology and created hospitals with specialized wards for specific illnesses during the Middle Ages.

Muslim Arab Empire (Middle Ages)

Known as 'The Arab Hippocrates'; discovered blood was the cause of many infections and developed stitches using animal-gut sutures.

Rhazes

Established in Salerno, Italy during the Middle Ages, where only animal dissection was permitted as human dissection was illegal.

First Medical School

Published the first human anatomy book during the Renaissance (known for acquiring corpses for study).

Andreas Vesalius

Anton Van Leeuwenhoek

Invented the microscope during the Renaissance, leading to the discovery of red blood cells.

Developed a compound lens microscope during the Renaissance, proving all living things are made of cells.

Robert Hooke

Louis Pasteur

Developed pasteurization during the Industrial Revolution.

Developed methods of medical asepsis during the Industrial Revolution.

Joseph Lister

Medical Asepsis

Cleaning procedures that kill microorganisms and eliminate infection.

Inserted a feeding tube into a patient.

John Hunter (1778)

Gave the first vaccination.

Edward Jenner (1796)

Fully described the digestive system.

William Beaumont (1822)

Anesthetics (Mid 1800s)

Began to be used for surgeries.

Explained the function of white blood cells.

Elie Metchnikoff (Early 1900s)

Discovered penicillin.

Sir Alexander Fleming (1932)

Developed the X-ray machine.

Wilhelm von Roentgen (Early 1900s)

Discovered DNA in the Modern Era.

Francis Crick and James Watson

Health Insurance Plans (1920s)

Developed to help individuals manage healthcare costs.

Medicare and Medicaid

Government programs created to help the elderly and low-income families pay for health care.

Hospitals (Modern Era Organization)

Organized into specialized units like ER, ICU, and Pediatrics to provide focused care.