18th and 19th Century Medicine Flashcards
Which years are covered by the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries?
1700-1900
When was Germ Theory published, and by whom?
- Louis Pasteur
When was the bacteria causing TB identified, and who identified it?
- Robert Koch
What procedure for studying bacteria cultures did Koch publicise?
The use of agar jelly in a petri dish, as well as staining bacteria so it could be more easily studied
What did Florence Nightingale believe caused disease and how did this affect how she ran her wards?
Miasma. Emphasised the need for hygiene, fresh air etc.
When did Florence Nightingale publish Notes on Hospitals?
1859
At which hospital did Nightingale establish a training school for nurses?
St Thomas’
Which two key developments improved surgery in the 198th and 19th centuries?
Anaesthetics and Antiseptics
What was Chloroform and when was it first used?
An anaesthetic. From 1847
What was the Black Period of Surgery?
The period between the 1850s and 1870s when death rates from infection increased in surgery
Who developed the first antiseptic?
Joseph Lister
What is an antiseptic?
Something that kills germs. Eg carbolic acid
When did Lister first soak bandages in carbolic acid to prevent infection?
1865
When did Lister develop the carbolic spray?
1866
What kind of surgery was commonplace by 1900?
Aseptic
What new treatments for disease were developed during the 18th and 19th centuries?
Not really any - people experimented with killing bacteria but didn’t have any luck
When was the Second Public Health Act passed?
1875
What were the key features of the Second Public Health Act? There are 9.
1) City councils must provide clean water
2) Sewers must be provided
3) Public toilets must be provided
4) Street lighting must be provided
5) Public parks must be provided
6) Councils must inspect lodging houses for cleanliness
7) Councils must check the quality of new houses being built
8) Councils must check the quality of food sold in shops
9) A public officer of health must be employed to monitor disease
What is the term used to describe the government’s attitude towards getting involved in daily lives of people before the 19th century?
Laissez-faire
Why did the government’s laissez-faire attitude begin to change in the 19th century?
Electoral reform meant more people could vote. Several epidemics (eg cholera) forced them to take action. Scientific evidence that diseases were caused by poor living conditions.
When did Jenner discover his smallpox vaccination?
1798
Which disease did Jenner find a way to prevent?
Smallpox
Before Jenner’s smallpox vaccine, how did people try to avoid catching the disease?
Inoculation
What was the problem with inoculation?
It was dangerous and expensive
How did Jenner’s vaccination work?
Give someone a dose of cowpox to make them immune to the more serious smallpox
When did the government begin making smallpox vaccinations free for the poor?
1840
When did the smallpox vaccination become compulsory?
1852
When did the government begin enforcing the law around compulsory vaccination?
1872
Why were some people opposed to Jenner’s vaccination?
- Royal Society felt not enough understanding of how it worked
- Church disapproved of the use of an animal disease
- Inoculators feared losing business
Why might some people argue Jenner’s vaccination had limited significance?
Because the reasons it worked were not understood, so the technique could not be more widely applied.
Which doctor did pioneering work around Cholera?
John Snow
When was the Broad Street outbreak of Cholera?
1854
What did John Snow prove caused Cholera?
Drinking dirty water
Why was John Snow’s work slow to be accepted?
Because Germ Theory hadn’t been published yet.
