17th And 18th Century Flashcards
What happened to King Charles II?
He collapsed from a kidney disease and died. They tried to treat him with purging, bleeding, blistering and cauterizing but nothing worked.
What was the royal touch?
People believed a touch by the king could cure the disease scrofula (king’s evil). An average of 3000 people a year did this.
What did they believe herbs could do?
Herbal remedies were passed down through generation and honey could kill bacteria and tree willow contained aspirin.
Who did ordinary people go to for help?
Medical treatments you had to pay for. They could get advice from barber surgeons who were poorly trained, apothecaries that had no medical training, wise women who relied on superstition but had knowledge of plants and herbs or quacks who were salesmen.
What new medicines were discovered from different lands?
The bark of the Cinchona tree from South America helped to cure malaria.
Opium from turkey used as an anaesthetic.
Tobacco from North America used to cure toothache and there plague.
Who was Thomas Sydenham?
As English doctor famous for recognizing the symptoms of scarlet fever and classifying illnesses correctly. Critical of quacks and stresses careful observation. He used bleeding methods.
What did the printing press do?
Helped ordinary people collect books on herbal remedies such as Nicholas Culpepper’s who used plants and astrology and was critical of bloodletting and purging.
When was the great plague?
1665
What caused the great plague?
Many people believed it was a punishment from God for their sins and blamed the movement of planets or miasma. It was really caused by fleas on rats attracted to the rubbish in cities.
How many people dies from the great plague in London?
100,000 around 1/4 of London.
How did people try to cure the Great Plague?
Bled with leeches
Cut open an alive puppy and apply to sores.
Frogs, snakes and scorpions draw out poison.
No cure
People began to make a connection with dirt and disease.
Not plague symptoms by examining them.
Fires lit to remove poison in air.
Homeowners sweep streets in front of houses.
How did people prevent the great plague?
Move to the countryside
Councilors and mayors issued orders to prevent spread
Victims quarantined in houses and watchmen stood to stop leaving
Houses with plague victims had a Red Cross painted on the door
Bodies of dead brought out at night and buried in mass plague pits
Trade stopped
Plays or games with large crowds banned
What economic effects of the great plague?
Businesses lost money
London in debt as need to rebuild after great fire
No Scottish trade
Who was John Hunter?
Worked for brother and became an army surgeon in 1760. He set up a surgical practice in London and became a surgeon. Appointed to King George III.
What did Hunter do?
Set up a large practice and trained hundreds of surgeons in a scientific approach.
What did his writing do?
Helped the surgical profession by showing theoretical knowledge. All writings based on observations. In 1771 published the natural history of teeth.
What did Hunter prove?
Amputation was not always needed.
What type of people founded hospitals in the 18th century?
Up to 17th century hospitals were for the sick to rest. But in 18th they were founded and supported by charitable gifts of private people. e.g. Westminster Hospital was founded by Thomas Guy. The king also gave money.
How did training in hospitals change in 18th century?
In the new hospitals the suck were cared for and medical schools were often attached. Individual wards developed for different types of disease.
In what ways did religion still affect hospitals in 18th century?
Religious conflict between Henry VIII and Catholic Church meant the king seized the wealth of the monasteries and closed them so started to give money to the hospitals. It allowed more different opinion to be heard. People began to abandon idea that illness was a sin.
What did 18th century hospitals do for people?
Based on four humours and bleeding and purging but also treated some patients for free for poor. Private patients provided main income for doctors. Specialist hospitals existed such as those more mental health or maternity hospitals.
Who was Florence Nightingale?
Born in 1820 in Italy but grew up in England. Grew up in a wealthy family and educated. Wanted to be a nurse and went to Crimean War hospital on battlefield?
What did Nightingale do?
She trained a relearn of nurses in the Crimean War on cleanliness and hygiene and orderliness. Persuaded doctors to let her clean and proved clean sheets and hospital helped defeat infection. At night would sit with soldiers and read to kept their spirits up.
What did Nightingale create?
First nursing school in London
Who was Edward Jenner?
Born in 1749 and trained in London by John Hunter. Was a country doctor.
What was small pox?
A deadly disease that starts with flu like symptoms and skin blisters.
What was cow pox?
A non fatal disease caught by dairy maids and caused harmless skin lesions on hands.
What was it like before Jenner?
Lady Mary Montague travelled in Middle East and saw inoculation. It was an application of smallpox pjs to a cut on a healthy person.
When did inoculation begin?
1721
Why was inoculation dangerous?
People could develop smallpox and die so many refused the treatment. Expensive
What did Jenner do?
He believed milkmaids who caught cowpox could not catch smallpox. Injected James Phipps, an 8 year old with cowpox and inserted into a cut. After 6 weeks he injected him with smallpox and James did not catch it.
When did Jenner create the first vaccination?
1798
Were Jenner’s ideas accepted?
No. Many feared what his vaccination would do. Write a book in 1798.
What did Jenner do after?
Between 1802 and 1807 Jenner gave 30000 to develop work on vaccination by government.
When did government make vaccines free for all?
After 34 years
What did the government do in 1840?
Ban the use of smallpox and began providing vaccination to all
What happened in 1877?
Parents could oppose and refuse to allow children to have the vaccination.
What were the limitation of Jenner’s vaccine?
It only dealt with one disease
He did not understand germs or bacteria so did not understand vaccination
Government indecisive as couldn’t decide whether they should force children to be vaccinated.
What factors helped Jenner?
Chance - only found it as he is a village doctor
Individual skill
Science and technology - inoculation existed
Government - have Jenner £30000 to continue research.
Why was there opposition to the vaccine?
People are suspicious and scared about what might happen to them e.g. turn into cows.
What were the reactions to vaccination?
Against God’s law to give people an animal disease
Smallpox is a punishment for sin
It will only take away livelihoods made from inoculation
Royal society said ideas are too revolutionary and refused to publish his book
Vaccinations are rushed and clumsy
Don’t have time to vaccinate kids
Government have no right to interfere and fine people.
