1))))1848) REASONS FOR LACK OF PROGRESS Flashcards
What was the main reason for lack of progress in medicine 1848?
Lack of understanding of disease
What was the theory of THE FOUR HUMOURS?
An idea that rested on the belief that:
The body was FORMED on 4 humours and an IMBALANCE of these 4 humours caused illness/disease
Name 1 of the four humours?
BLOOD
Name another of the four humours?
PHLEGM
Name a 3rd of the four humours?
BLACK BILE
Name a 4th of the four humours?
YELLOW BILE
Who was theory of the four humours developed by?
The Ancient Greeks
What was the effect of the 4 humours?
It prevented correct understanding of disease=which prevented progress in treatment/prevention.
=TREATMENT BASED ON THE THEORY OF OPPISITES
What was the theory of opposites?
The idea that an imbalance of of one humour could be restored by eating/drinking something with the opposite quality
What was the miasma theory?
An idea that disease was caused by bad air/bad fumes
What made the miasma seem logical at the time?
Higher rate of disease in poor areas=unhygienic/smelly
=also knew quicker spread of disease in hot weather=(when bad smells worsened)
How else did miasma theory seem logical at the time?
=also knew quicker spread of disease in hot weather=(when bad smells worsened)
What was the theory of spontaneous generation?
Rotting material(food) creates maggots,fleas, disease
Why was the spontaneous generation theory developed?
Microbes were too small to be seen with ought microscopes, scientists knew they existed but there was little scientific research was being carried out of them at this time=ppl didn’t know the link between microbes and disease
Why was doctors knowledge of the body poor?
Doctors observed a few dissections during their training but because of belief of life after death ppl wanted to be buried,
So docs used bodies of dead criminals
Why was little available dissection a problem?
Made it difficult to research symptoms of disease/study certain conditions (diabetes)
NAME 3 SOCIAL FACTORS AFFECTING MEDICINE
LACK OF TECH,LACK OF FUNDING,POOR ATTITUDES
How was poor attitudes of doctors limiting progress?
Doctors did not want to change their methods and learn new ones mostly because there wasn’t evidence to disprove them
How was poor funding limiting progress?
Hospitals funded by charities which left little money for research=developing new ideas
How was lack of tech limiting progress?
Perhaps if the microscopes were stronger =perhaps scientist would have been more curious about germs
To summarise why is lack of understanding A HUGE limiting factor?
lack of understanding=faulty doctor training=ineffective ideas of prevention/treatment
