1848-1875 Flashcards
When did Florence Nightingale go to Scutari
1854
What did Nightingale observe that was bad about the hospitals in Scutari (6)
- Many men were sharing beds or sleeping on the floor
- Their clothes were infested with lice and fleas
- Waterborne diseases such as typhoid fever and cholera were common
- It was difficult to get enough medical supplies to the hospital
- Food supplies were limited and of poor quality
- Many patients had diarrhoea
What did Nightingale bring to the Scutari hospital (5)
- Cleaned surfaces
- Cleaned sheets, towels, bandages and equipment
- Opened windows to improve flow of air (she believed in miasma)
- Improved food quality
- Raised money to buy supplies
What was the first anaestetic and what were the pros and cons of it
Ether - the patient fell unconscious and could not feel pain when they awoke
However, it caused vomiting and irritated the lungs, and it could leave the patient asleep for hours or even days. The gas was also very flammable; dangerous because the theatres were often lit by candles or gas
Who discovered chloroform and when
James Simpson - 1847
Why was chloroform such a big discovery
It was a powerful anaesthetic, putting people to sleep, but without the same side effects of ether
What were some problems with chloroform (2)
- Many surgeons felt confident enough to attempt longer and more complicated operations, but this caused more blood loss and infection risk
- It was difficult to get the dose right and an overdose would kill the patient
How did John Snow fix the problem of chloroform overdose
He created a chloroform inhaler, which controlled the dosage
What was the ‘black period’ of surgery
When chloroform was used for pain relief but no solution to blood loss or infection had been found - the death rate rose because surgeons attempted deeper and longer operations, increasing the risk of blood loss and infection
What is gangrene
When cells dont receive oxygen due to blood supply being cut off for too long, they begin to rot
What is sepsis
If the body is fighting an infection, the blood supply to organs is reduced, causing organs to fail and the patient to die
What did the 1848 public health act entail (3)
- A general board of health was set up
- Towns were allowed to set up their own local board of health, employ a medical officer, organise the removal of rubbish and build a sewage system
- Appointed 3 commissioners for the board of health - Chadwick was one of them.
What was the extent of the impact of the 1948 public health act and why
Very limited - the effects were only temporary- the board only existed until 1854. It was also only encouraged that towns act, not compulsory, so only 1/3 of towns complied
What did Dr John Snow discover
Cholera was spread by polluted water
How did Snow discover cholera was caused by infected water
He realised that all the deaths in an epidemic in Soho were to people who drank water from the broad street water pump. A woman living several miles away in Hampstead died, but she sent for a bottle of water from the Broad Street pump because she liked the way it tasted
What did pasteur write in his germ theory
- Microorganisms spread through the air
- Microorganisms cause decay
- Microorganisms can be killed by heating
- Microorganisms are not evenly distributed in the air
Why was there limited progress caused by the germ theory
- It was a general theory, not related to the medical field
- It took years for scientists and people to believe it
- It was unclear how it could be used for medicine
- No one knew HOW microorganisms caused disease, especially as microorganisms were also found in healthy people
How did germ theory lead to big medical progress
- Spontaneous generation was disproved
- It was identified that microorganisms in the air caused decay
- It helped to demonstrate the link between health and hygiene
- It helped explain how infections developed after surgery