1750 - 1900 medicine (19th Century) Flashcards
Why were the four humours no longer accepted in the 19th century?
Because people thought miasma (bad air) caused disease.
Why were Galen’s books no longer important in the 19th Century?
Doctors carried out dissections and used microscopes
What was Inoculation?
When someone could be immunised against Small Pox using pus from sores
What did Inoculation often lead to?
Small pox & death
Describe the work of Jenner
He discovered the first ever vaccine for Small Pox
He injected Cow Pox into a boy so he didn’t catch the Small Pox disease
Why did people go against Jenner’s ideas?
- They were worried about the side effects
- Jenner didn’t have scientific knowledge on how it worked
- Members of the church though Inoculation WASNT NATURAL
Which female individuals made developments in nursing?
Mary Seacole and Florence Nightingale
Describe the work of Mary Seacole
- She was from a poor background in Jamaica
- She dealt with gunshot wounds in the Crimean War
- She raised funds to continue her work after war
Describe the work of Florence Nightingale
- She believed God wanted her to be a nurse
- Sorted out nursing care in the English Camp of the Crimean War
- She improved hospital ward conditions
- She took her ideas from the war back to England
Describe the work of Pasteur
- He discovered bacteria growing in liquid
- He came up with the ‘Germ Theory’ that germs caused disease
…He proved people wrong when they said disease only came from miasma
Describe the work of Koch
- He was interested in Pasteur’s work
- He identified the bacteria that caused Cholera and Tuberculosis
- Rivalry with Pasteur intensified during France and Germany’s rivalry in the war
What did Pasteur’s Anthrax vaccine involve?
injecting a weakened version of the anthrax spore into a sheep to make it immune
What was surgery in the 1800s like?
dangerous and extremely painful
What problems faced surgeons in the 1800s?
Pain - patients died of shock
Infection - Surgeons wore the same dirty clothes which passed on infection
Bleeding - people died of blood loss
How did surgeons stop patients from feeling pain in the 1800s?
- By getting them drunk
- Knocking them out and giving them Opium
Who discovered Nitrous Oxide and what was it?
Discovered by - Sir Humphrey Davy.
Also known as laughing gas
Who used Ether and what were the side effects like?
J.R Liston used it during a leg amputation
- The side effects - very unpleasant
Who used Chloroform in the 1800s?
James Simpson and some friends
A why did Chloroform lead to unexplained deaths?
The amount given to patients could not be measured or controlled.
Name three reasons for OPPOSITION to anaesthetics
- People didn’t understand how they worked
- They were uncomfortable for patients
- People didn’t understand the side effects
When was the final breakthrough if anaesthetics ?
When Queen Victoria accepted the use of Chloroform during the delivery of her 8th child
How was the problem of infection overcome?
Joseph Lister discovering antiseptics
Why did people OPPOSE LISTER / go against him?
- his methods slowed down surgery
- Carbolic acid was irritating to the skin / to inhale
- Surgeons didn’t copy his methods correctly
Describe the work of Lister
- He used carbolic spray to kill bacteria
- Carbolic spray meant…
less deaths
led to aseptic surgery
many didn’t accept his ideas
Definite ‘Aseptic surgery’
The removal of all germs from theatres to ensure cleanliness
What Aseptic methods were introduced because of Lister’s ideas?
- Clean operating theatres
- Sterilised rubber gloves used
- All surgical instruments were sterilised
What was attempted after Harvey’s discovery of the circulation of blood?
Blood transfusions
Why did blood transfusions end badly?
- Blood groups hadn’t been discovered
- Infection could be passed on
Why had people stopped reading Galen’s work in the 19th Century?
Because his work was often incorrect and there were new understandings of the human body
Name three Public Health problems in the late 1700s/early 1800s
- Cramped living conditions
…meant diseases spread rapidly
- Water and Seaver disposal facilities COULDNT be provided
What did ‘Laissez-faire’ mean?
the government shouldn’t interfere
Describe the work of Chadwick
- He recommended Public Health improvements
- He published a Public Health report in 1842 (outlining links between dirt + disease)
- The government didn’t take him seriously
Describe the work of John Snow
- He studied Cholera outbreaks in Broadstreet,Ldn
- He discovered that Cholera came from dirty water
- Removed water pump > No more Cholera
- Unlike Chadwick, the government took him seriously
- His work led to the 1875 Public Health Act
What did the 1875 Public Health act include?
- Provision of clean water
- Proper drainage and sewage
- Appointed a Medical Officer of Health
What caused the ‘Great Stink’ of 1858?
Hot weather and human waste
What was the result of the Public Health Act of 1875?
- Improved standards of housing
- Shortened working hours for women and children
- Made education compulsory
