c1700-c1900- 18th and 19th Century Flashcards
Continuity in theory of causes of disease
miasma is most popular idea
few new ideas about causes of disease in the 18th century
change in theory of causes of disease
spontaneous generation
miasma becoming a less popular theory
germ theory
microbes
who published their germ theory in 1861?
Louis Pasteur
what did Pasteur prove?
spontaneous generation is false
proved that germs in the air cause decay while investigating why liquids turn sour for the brewing industry
unable to prove germs caused disease but theorised it
what did Robert Koch prove?
germ theory was right by building on Pasteur’s work
what 2 microbes did Koch discover? when?
the ones that caused TB in 1882 and Cholera in 1883
what experiments with bacteria did Koch develop?
growing it on agar jelly and staining bacteria
what was Pasteur’s influence on medicine in Britain?
small impact to begin with since he wasnt a doctor and focused on food and drink.
Koch’s impact on medicine in Britain
more effect than Pasteur
inspired others to research microbes
didnt fully have an impact as it took a while for doctors to accept germ theory
which nursing school did Florence Nightingale attend?
first nurses training school in Kaiserwerth hospital, Germany
which war did Nightingale get asked to lead a team of nurses?
crimean war 1854-56
what did Nightingale believe caused disease? how did this affect her approach?
miasma, so she emphasised hygiene and fresh air
how did Nightingale impact the conditions of hospitals?
greatly improved the conditions due to her beliefs in miasma- everything was kept fresh
how did Nightingale benefit future generations of nurses?
published books on nursing and hospital organisation and set up a training school for nurses/ midwives
changes in hospital care in 1856
new hospitals opened
middle and upper classes could affort to be treated at home by a doctor
elderly, sick, poor were forced to go to work houses
tried to create a home atmosphere- visitors help nurses look after patients
changes in hospital care in 1875
organisation improved
training was better
germ theory= better hygiene
nurses given a more central role
infirmaries for poor set up under public pressure
specialist hospitals (asylums etc.) developed
what were the three main problems that made surgery so dangerous?
blood loss
pain
infection
what anaesthetics did they use before 1800? success?
alcohol and opium, little success
list of anaesthetics throughout the 1800s
before 1800- alcohol, opium
1844- laughing gas
1846- ether
1847- chloroform
1884- cocaine
evaluate laughing gas as an anaesthetic?
failed to ease all pain and patients remained conscious
evaluate ether as an anaesthetic?
totally unconscious
long lasting
cough during operations
ill afterwards
very flammable
evaluate chloroform as an anaesthetic?
very effective
few side effects
difficult to get correct dose
could kill some
evaluate cocaine as an anaesthetic
first local anaesthetic
less addictive version (novocaine) used as a general anaesthetic in 1905
who discovered chloroform?
James Simpson
what was the opposition to anaesthetics
worry about long term effects
thought being unconscious meant higher death risk
wrong to interfere with gods plan
long time to accept germ theory
antiseptic development timeline
1861- half the patients in surgery die from postoperative infections
1864- Lister reads Pasteur’s germ theory and learns from it
1865- lister soaks bandages in carbolic acid to avoid infection in wounds
1866- lister uses carbolic acid to clean wounds and equipment and invents a spray to kill germs
1867- states his wards have been free from infection and publishes ideas
1877- lister becomes professor of surgery at Kings College hospital
what did Lister use to clean wouds?
Carbolic acid
where did Lister become the professor of surgery?
kings college, london
what did Lister invent to kill germs in the air?
a spray
impact of listers ideas
by 1900, all hospitals were thoroughly cleaned using aseptic techniques, sterile clothing and instruments were used
impact of anaesthetic and antiseptics
surgery= pain free
surgeons could take time and be careful
complex surgery becomes possible
death rate decreased hugely
aseptic surgery was possible
who developed vaccines?
Louis Pasteur
how were vaccines created?
Pasteur + team worked out that a weakened version of disease could be used to create immunity
what diseases did pasteur create vaccines for?
anthrax, chicken cholera (for animals), rabies (humans)
impacts of Pasteurs vaccines
encourage other scientists to develop vaccines
reasons for the 1875 public health act
government attitude changed after epidemics
science that poor living conditions contributed to illness
government wanting the vote
what was on the public health act?
city authorities must provide:
clean water
sewers
public toilets
street lights
public parks
and:
inspect houses for cleanliness
monitor building of houses to prevent overcrowding
check food quality
employ public officer of health to monitor disease
where did Edwaerd Jenner first work?
St George’s hospital
where did Jenner make his discovery?
gloucestershire
who were the main tagrets of smallpox?
children
what did survivors of smallpox have?
nasty scars
why was inoculating not very effective
the disease could still kill
only rich could afford it
how did Jenner discover that vaccines could work?
people that had previously been infected with cowpox didnt catch smallpox
how did jenner record his findings? when?
in “An enquiry into the causes and effects of the variola vaccine” as the royal society refused to publish it themselves in 1798
they were a set of instructions others could follow
how man people had been vaccinated in 1800 worldwide?
100000
what was set up to promote vaccination?
royal jennerian society
how many British people has been vaccinated in 1804?
12000
how much did vaccines cost for the poor in 1840
nothing- they were made free
when did vaccines become compulsory?
1853
what was announced by the World Health Organisation (who) later in the 1900s?
smallpox had been wiped out
what were the pros of jenners work?
saved millions of lives
science could get rid of disease
encouraged others
cons of jenners work
didnt know why it worked
link between smallpox and cowpox was unique so didnt apply to other illnesses
other diseases still killed people
oppositions to jenner’s work
wrong to give people an animal’s disease
interfered with gods plan
doctors lost money when vaccines were made free
some doctors didnt vaccine properly so it didnt work
when were the first, second + third cholera outbreaks in Britain?
1831, 1848,1854
how did the government prevent cholera?
keep homes clean, streets clean, tried to have clean water supplies but that was not compulsory so not many places complied
what did the people believbe was the cause of cholera?
spontaneous generation and miasma
where did cholera effect most
poor places and slum areas
what were the symptoms of cholera
severe diarrhoea & vomiting which led to dehydration
what was john snows cholera speculation?
it was spread through contaminated drinking water
which cholera outbreak did snow work during?
1854 (3rd)
how did snow figure out the cause of cholera?
mapped deaths and found a strong link to one water pump
what did snow do to test his contaminated water theory?
removed the pump handle so no one could collect water from it and the number of deaths fell dramatically
what was discovered later that proved Snows theories?
a cesspit near the well leaking waste into the water
/how was snows theory recieved
many didnt believe it as he had no scientific evidence and the germ theory wasnt recognised yet so the government didnt act on it
snows long term effect
new sewer system built, completed in 1875
helped people link dirty water and disease and led to public health act making clean water compulsory, also in 1875
when did snow present his findings to the government?
1855
