Britain: Health and the People, A revolution in medicine

Question 1

When was Robert Koch born and when did he die?

Answer 1

Born 1843 and died 1910

Question 2

What was Robert Koch’s career?

Answer 2

Born in Germany, studied to be doctor, student under Professor Frederick Henle, worked as surgeon in Franco-Prussian War, was German Medical Officer from 1872 - 1880, appointed to Imperial German Health Bureau in Berlin, awarded Nobel Prize in 1905

Question 3

When did Robert Koch first become famous and for what?

Answer 3

1876 for identifying anthrax microbe

Question 4

For what diseases did Koch identify the germs responsible?

Answer 4

Cholera and tuberculosis

Question 5

What were Koch’s main contributions to medicine and science in his life?

Answer 5

Founder of modern bacteriology; developed technique of growing microbes on solidified agar plate; found ways to stain specific microbes under microscope with dyes; developed ways of photographing microbes

Question 6

Scientists identified the specific germs responsible for which diseases after Koch?

Answer 6

Typhoid, pneumonia, meningitis, plague and tetanus

Question 7

When was a paper published describing the life cycle of microbes and by who?

Answer 7

William Dallinger and John Drysdale in 1874

Question 8

When were a number of British germ studies published using microscope evidence and answering questions about germs?

Answer 8

1873 - 1875

Question 9

When did John Tyndall lecture British doctors on Koch’s discoveries about Anthrax?

Answer 9

1876

Question 10

Which two British doctors’ contributions ultimately won over opinion about Germ Theory in Britain?

Answer 10

Manchester doctor William Roberts, Joseph Lister’s deputy surgeon William Cheyne

Question 11

What did William Roberts do?

Answer 11

Supported Tyndall’s criticisms of spontaneous generation, developed doctor’s version of Germ Theory of disease, linked all laboratory research with practical evidence, used work of Koch to draw attention to germs’ role in human infections

Question 12

What did William Cheyne do?

Answer 12

Translated Koch’s work into English in 1879, wrote paper based on Koch’s findings, explained some microbes present in healthy tissue harmless and didn’t always produce disease

Question 13

When was Germ Theory accepted in Britain?

Answer 13

By the 1880s

Question 14

When did Robert Koch win the Nobel Prize?

Answer 14

1905

Question 15

When did Louis Pasteur win the Copley Medal?

Answer 15

1874

Question 16

What did Louis Pasteur do from 1871 - 1875?

Answer 16

Continued to investigate agricultural problems, studied fermentation of beer, defended his ideas about Germ Theory

Question 17

Which two animal diseases did Pasteur and his team develop vaccines for from 1876 - 1881?

Answer 17

Cholera and anthrax

Question 18

When did Robert Koch identify the tuberculosis germ?

Answer 18

1882

Question 19

When did Koch’s team of scientists identify the cholera germ?

Answer 19

1883

Question 20

When and how was a vaccine for chicken cholera developed?

Answer 20

In 1879, when Charles Chamberland accidentally used old and weakened sample of diseases microbes, chickens survived weakened and strong germ injections

Question 21

When did Pasteur demonstrate his vaccine against the deadly animal disease anthrax in front of audience of politicians, farmers and journalists in France?

Answer 21

May 1881

Question 22

How was news of Pasteur’s and Koch’s discoveries spread?

Answer 22

Pasteur’s development of animal disease Anthrax vaccine spread by electric telegraph, Koch’s discoveries spread by scientific articles and conferences

Question 23

How was the French serum for diphtheria introduced to Britain, and after which date was it widely used?

Answer 23

Joseph Lister introduced French serum for diphtheria to Britain, widely used after 1895

Question 24

How did the French serum for diphtheria affect the mortality rate in England?

Answer 24

Serum used widely after 1895, mortality rate in England dropped to less than half

Question 25

When and how was a vaccine developed for rabies?

Answer 25

1880 - 1884; Pasteur working with Charles Chamberland and Pierre Roux developed vaccine based on dried spinal cords of infected rabbits

Question 26

When and how did Pasteur prove that vaccines worked on human, as well as animal, diseases?

Answer 26

1885, Pasteur gave boy bitten by rabid dog rabies vaccine

Question 27

What happened from 1888 - 1890, and in 1890, regarding rabies?

Answer 27

1888 - 1890: In France, Pierre Roux showed diphtheria germ produced a toxin; Emil Behring in Germany, one of Koch’s students, showed weakened diphtheria germs could be used to produce antitoxin

Question 28

When and how was the first chemical cure for a disease developed, and how does this relate to the term “magic bullet”?

Answer 28

In 1909, Paul Ehrlich, German doctor who had been part of Koch’s team, found the chemical Salvarsan 606 cured syphilis, described it as “magic bullet” as it targeted harmful germ specifically without harming rest of body

Question 29

How many people did cholera kill in 1831?

Answer 29

Around 50,000

Question 30

When did further outbreaks of cholera occur after 1831?

Answer 30

1837, 1838

Question 31

When was Edwin Chadwick born and when did he die?

Answer 31

Born 1800, died 1890

Question 32

When did the government established an inquiry to research living conditions, who was in charge, and when was the report published?

Answer 32

Government set up inquiry in 1839, headed by official Edwin Chadwick, report published in 1842

Question 33

How many free copies of Chadwick’s report were handed out, how many were sold and to who?

Answer 33

Over 10,000 free copies handed out to politicians, journalists, writers, anyone who could change public opinion and 20,000 more sold to public

Question 34

What did Chadwick’s report show?

Answer 34

Report showed need for cleaner streets and cleaner water supply, showed poor not to blame for bad living conditions, little they could do about it

Question 35

When was the First Public Health Act passed and what did it do?

Answer 35

Passed in 1848, created Central Board of Health in London, group could force areas to establish Local Board of Health which have power to appoint specialist Medical Officer, provide sewers, inspect lodging houses and check food quality

Question 36

How many towns had established their own Boards of Health by 1853 and when was the Central Board of Health closed down?

Answer 36

By 1853, only 103 towns set up own Boards of Health, and Central Board of Health closed down in 1854

Question 37

How many people did the 1848 and 1854 outbreaks of cholera?

Answer 37

60,000 people died of cholera in 1848, 20,000 died of it in 1854

Question 38

When was cholera discovered to be a water-borne disease and by who?

Answer 38

Doctor John Snow proved link between cholera and water supply during 1854 epidemic

Question 39

When was John Snow born and when did he die?

Answer 39

Born 1813, died 1858

Question 40

When did the Great Stink occur?

Answer 40

Summer of 1858

Question 41

When did work on the London sewer system start and how?

Answer 41

Joseph Bazalgette given £3 million in 1858 (about £1 billion today) and using 318 million bricks, he built 83 miles of sewers, finishing the sewers in 1866

Question 42

When was the Sanitary Act passed and what did this do?

Answer 42

Sanitary Act passed in 1866, each town had to have health inspector, made local councils responsible for sewers, water and street cleaning

Question 43

When was the Artisans Dwelling Act (the Housing Act) passed and what did it do?

Answer 43

Passed in 1875, made house owners responsible for keeping properties in good order, gave local councils power to buy and demolish slum housing if not improved

Question 44

When did working-class men living in towns get the vote, and how did a party use this to win an election later on?

Answer 44

Working-class men living in towns given vote in 1867, Conservative Party won general election in 1874 largely due to working-class votes

Question 45

When was the Second Public Health Act passed and what did it do?

Answer 45

Passed in 1875, local councils forces to appoint Medical Officers responsible for public health, ordered to cover up sewers, keep them in good condition, supply fresh water, collect rubbish and provide street lighting

Question 46

When was the Sale of Food and Drugs Act passed and what does it do?

Answer 46

Passed in 1875, introduces guidelines for quality and sale of food and medicines