HISTORY - MEDICINE THROUGH TIME

BORN: 460 BC

DIED: 360 BC

Hippocrates was a teacher and a doctor who came up with the theory of the four humours.

FACTORS THAT HELPED: role of the individual

FACTORS THAT HINDERED: religion

SIGNIFICANCE THEN:   - New theory of what caused disease

                                        - Established the hippocratic oath

                                        - Process of observation and recording for diagnosis

                                         - Movement away from God as a cause of illness

SIGNIFICANCE NOW:     - Hippocratic Oath still used today

                                          - process of observation and recording still used today

WHEN: 129 AD - 210 AD

Galen was a Greek physician and surgeon in the roman empire.

FACTORS THAT HELPED:

FACTORS THAT HINDERED: - Religion 

                                                 - government

                                                 - science and technology

SIGNIFICANCE THEN: Galens anatomical reports were based off monkey and pig dissections. Galen's theory of the physiology of the circulatory system remained unchallenged until 1242.

SIGNIFICANCE NOW: Galen was the first to demonstrate that the larynx generates voice. In his work, Galen explained the difference between motor and sensory nerves, discussed the concept of muscle tone and explained the difference between agonists and antagonists. Galen also demonstrated skilled surgical techniques - similar to the ones we use today.

WHEN: 1307 - 1392

FACTORS THAT HELPED: - war

                                             - communication

FACTORS THAT HINDERED: - religion

SIGNIFICANCE THEN: John Arderne was an English battle surgeon who began seeing wounds and gaining knowledge of the human body. John began training as a surgeon and became a surgeon. He had a 50% survival rate and he wrote a book called 'THE PRACTICE OF SURGERY'.

SIGNIFICANCE NOW: John Arderne is well - known today for understanding that his patients died from pain so he created a painkilling ointment out of hemlock and opium. He is also known for removing anal fistulas and his 50% survival rate which is astonishing for surgery in that time period.

• Used honey as an antiseptic
• Invents tongs as surgical tools
• no use of religion and superstition 
• observation of patient
• E.G removed an arrowhead from Prince Henrys eye, successfully

WHEN: 1514 - 1564

FACTORS THAT HELPED: communication

FACTORS THAT HINDERED: religion and superstition

SIGNIFICANCE THEN: Vesalius carried out his own dissections because he believed that understanding human anatomy was key to understanding how the human body worked.

SIGNIFICANCE NOW: Vesalius published the book 'De Humani Corporis Fabrica' in 1543 which changed the belief and attitudes towards medicines and he was one of the first surgeons to challenge Galen's works to channel a path for more discoveries and inventions. Vesalius encouraged doctors to dissect and investigate for themselves.

WHEN: 1510 - 1590

FACTORS THAT HELPED:   - chance

                                               - war

                                               - communications

FACTORS THAT HINDERED: science and technology

SIGNIFICANCE THEN: Vesalius used to cauterize wounds with boiling oil and then put ointment on them. One day he ran out of oil and he just used the ointment and he discovered that the ointment work best. He used ligatures to seal off a wound and was considered as one of the fathers of surgery.

SIGNIFICANCE NOW; Vesalius stopped wound cauterization and discovered a pain killing ointment. He also sealed wounds using ligatures.

WHEN: 1578 - 1657

FACTORS THAT HELPED: - role of the individual

                                             - communication

FACTORS THAT HINDERED: - religion and superstition

SIGNIFICANCE THEN: Harvey discovered that the heart is the main part of the blood circulatory system rather than the liver as Galen suggested. This was significant because he was able to convincingly demonstrate the heart pumping blood around the body. This put an end on bloodletting.

SIGNIFICANCE NOW: Harvey wrote a book called ' The motion of the heart ' and published it in 1628. This book was significant because it dramatically improved treatment methods, knowledge of surgery and helped future discoveries.

WHEN: 1624 - 1689

FACTORS THAT HELPED: - war

                                             - chance

FACTORS THAT HINDERED: science and technology

SIGNIFICANCE THEN: Thomas Sydenham wrote a book based on epidemics and this led to the publication of his book 'Fevers' (1666). Thomas also insisted that patients should visit doctors rather than the other way around - but he still believed that disease was transmitted through atmospheres. 

SIGNIFICANCE NOW: Today, Thomas is known as among the few physicians to describe Scarlet Fever and differentiate it from Measles and naming it - and to explain the nature of hysteria and St. Vitus disease. Sydenham introduced laudanum into medical practice, was one of the first to use iron in treating iron deficiency - anemia and helped popularize the drug quinine that is ud=sed in treating malaria. 

WHEN: 1749 - 1843

FACTORS THAT HELPED: - chance

                                            - role of the individual

FACTORS THAT HINDERED: - science and technology

SIGNIFICANCE THEN: When he was a child, Edward Jenner was inoculated against smallpox, when there was an epidemic. It was a very traumatic experience and Jenner nearly died. One day he heard a milkmaid saying that because she got cowpox, she could not get smallpox. So Edward Jenner tested this theory on a 9-year-old boy - James Phipps. Phipps caught a mild case of cowpox but he never got smallpox. Jenner discovered the first vaccine, however many people opposed him saying that it was a sin to put the animal disease into a person.

SIGNIFICANCE NOW: Thanks to Jenner, his vaccine eradicated smallpox worldwide. His theory of vaccination lead to many more discoveries.

WHEN: 1728 - 1793

FACTORS THAT HELPED: - war

                                             - role of the individual

                                              - communication

FACTORS THAT HINDERED: - government

                                                  - superstition and religion

SIGNIFICANCE THEN: Trained many of the best surgeons of that time including Edward Jenner. successful removal of tumors. Using ligatures as aneurysms.

SIGNIFICANCE NOW: Tries to engage the public in scientific discovery. Removed tumours. Opened a museum to teach the public. Transplant operations on animals. used ligatures as aneurysms.

WHEN: 1822 - 1895

FACTORS THAT HELPED: - government

                                             - chance

                                             - war

                                              - technology

SIGNIFICANCE THEN: Proved Germ Theory in 1865. Discovered the vaccine for Anthrax and Chicken Cholera. 

SIGNIFICANCE NOW: Germ Theory revolutionized the treatment of disease. Made vaccine manufacturing possible. Discovered that Jenner's vaccine theory could be applied to other diseases. Discovered pasteurization. Led to antiseptic.

WHEN: 1872 - 1912

FACTORS THAT HELPED: - chance

FACTORS THAT HINDERED: - government

SIGNIFICANCE THEN: Lister was a surgeon who was astonished after discovering that 50% of patients die after surgery. He proclaimed that surgeons should wash their hands before and after surgery to prevent gangrene and infection. Mortality after surgery dropped from 45% - 15%.

SIGNIFICANCE NOW: Believed that germs and infections were linked. Found a way to sterilize and kill germs. Carbolic acid was used to sterilize surgery rooms and is still used today.

WHEN: 1843 - 1910

FACTORS THAT HELPED: -war

                                             - government

                                             - technology

FACTORS THAT HINDERED: communication

SIGNIFICANCE THEN: Identified the bacteria that caused Anthrax and discovered chicken cholera. Won a Nobel Prize. Used a microscope and discovered potato staining. 

SIGNIFICANCE NOW: First person to discover that specific germs caused specific diseases. This was the final proof of the germ theory. 

Paul Ehrlich was significant because he discovered the first medication that could be taken through the mouth and work from the inside outwards. The Salvarsan - 606 was also the first target - specific medication. This means that the medication targeted the specific bacterium as opposed to targeting the affected area.