Approaches to prevention and treatment: 1700-1900 Flashcards
What improvements were there in hospital care?
Donations from the wealthy gave the “deserving” poor the chance of gaining treatment in a hospital, not just rest.
What was the specific influence of Florence Nightingale?
She set a new standard for cleanliness in hospitals and professionalism in the nursing profession.
1859: Notes on Nursing.
1860: The Nightingale School for Nursing.
Her standards massively dropped the mortality rates in hospitals. From 40% to 2% in some cases.
She helped develop Pavilion Plan Hospitals which had far better ventilation and kept infectious patients suffering from different diseases away from each other.
What impact did anesthetics have on surgery?
Chloroform in 1847 was the first chemical that successfully kept patients unconscious for a sufficient amount of time.
Surgeons gained bravery in the length of time and complexity of operation they were willing to carry out.
What impact did antiseptics have on surgery?
Ended the “Black Period of Surgery”
After 1867, the death from infection rate fell dramatically.
Carbolic Spray, used by Joseph Lister, was the first widely used antiseptic and also played a role in helping Germ Theory gain acceptance.
How were vaccinations developed and used?
1796: First Vaccination - used against Smallpox.
It became widespread with support from the Government. In 1853, it was made compulsory and the extent to which it was “rolled out” was helped by the government appointing public vaccinators.
What was the impact of the 1875 Public Health Act?
It was made an expectation that local councils provide clean water, proper drainage and sewage systems.
A Medical Health Officer was appointed for all areas of the country so that outbreaks of disease like Cholera could be monitored.
It led to smaller laws that were more specific to improving health like the Artisans Dwelling Act (home improvements) Sale of Food and Drug Acts (removed chalk flour from bread) and Laws against the pollution of rivers.
