18th & 19th Century Medicine

The Great Plague

In the spring and summer of 1665, there was an outbreak of the bubonic plague.
1/5 of England died of the disease.
The epidemic was thought to be caused by fleas on rats.
Same cause as the Black Death in 1348, where a 1/3 or Europe died.
Cause: Miasma and some thought God sent the disease.
Prevention: Smelling herbs, avoiding contact with others, praying, lighting fires, fumigation, killing large numbers of cats and dogs and quarantine.
Treatment: Bleeding and purging at the start, praying, various diets and bursting the buboes. However, there was no methods of treatment that actually worked.
The Government played a big role and tried to prevent disease.
Any household which caught the plague had to be put into quarantine and the words "Lord have mercy on us" along with a red cross was put on the door.
By winter, the plague had began to die out but over 100,000 had died.

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Pasteur was a French Chemist who studied bacteriology.
Discoverd that Germs cause disease.
In 1861, he published Germ theory. These were the four basic principles:
1. Microbes are not evenly distributed in the air.
2. The air contains living microorganisms.
3. Microbes in the air cause decay.
4. Microbes can be killed by heating them.
He discovered mircobes cause decay in certain substances.
Developed vaccines to treat cholera and Antax.
His work on germ theory had a very long-term impact on science.
At first his work was not accepted due to the theory of Spontaneous Generation, which claimed rotting matter created microbes and it was spread through miasmata.
This was promoted by Dr Bastien, a well-respected and influencial doctor.

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Robert Koch was a german scientist who studied micro-biology.
His main ideas on bacteria were:
1. The microbe is present in every case of the disease.
2. Oncet taken form the body, microbes can be reproduced from pure culture.
3. The disease can be reproduced in animals using that culture.
4. The microbe can be taken out of test animals and used to start a fresh culture.
Developed a new way of growing bacteria, in a petri dish with agar jelly.
Identified certain microbes that caused specific diseases.
Found that cholera was spread through dirty water, at first this theory was rejected.
Koch found the mocrobe that caused diptheria.
Found the Anthrax spore which allowed Pasteur to make a vaccine.

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Individuals: Pastuer and Koch were the most influencial individuals and their work was the base for the science which caused medical change. John Tyndall and Joseph Lister's work used the ideas form Germ theory and they promoted this idea.
Institutions: The Government did not help improve the understanding of disease as Germ Theory offered no solutions to the problem of illness. However after people could vote, the Government showed a much greater interest in developing science. The Church also had very little control over science which allowed more progress.
Technology: The development of the printing press in 1440 allowed scientists to communicate with each other and share new ideas. The improved microscope meant scientists could study microbes and bacteria, otherwise it would have been impossible. The new method of growing bacteria in petri dishes meant bacteria could be observed and this helped progress.
Science: Greater desire to prove new theories with evidence and find solutions to illness, along with finding the cause of illness. Scientists could also share and communicate ideas.
Attitudes in society: Greater interest in rational explanations for disease and in finding causes. Although change was slowed down, it took a long time for Germ theory to be accepted it was not until the the 188os onwards that it was accepted.

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