Change in treatment of disease and care of the sick after the year c1800 Flashcards
Name one example of an advance in medicine
Magic bullets
Who first searched for a magic bullet
Paul Ehrlich and his team
What is a magic bullet?
A chemical compound that would attack and kill the microbe causing a specific disease without harming other cells in the body.
When, who, and what was the name of the first magic bullet developed?
In 1932, Gerhard Domagk developed the first magic bullet (other than Salvarsan 606) called Prontosil, which cured some types of blood poisoning.
Why did magic bullets show change?
Because it meant that there were now cures for certain diseases that didn’t harm other areas of the body, which was not possible before.
Give an example of advances in preventing infection.
Antibiotics
What do antibiotics do?
They destroy/prevent growth of bacteria.
Who and what was the first discovered antibiotic?
Penicillin by Alexander Flemming
Who helped promote penicillin?
Florey and Chain followed up this discovery with more success than Flemming are are the reason it was mass produced.
Why do antibiotics not have a long-term affect?
Super-bacteria (resistant to antibodies) have developed due to overuse.
How do antibiotics show change?
Because they have saved and extended millions of loves and before then, bacteria was a huge barrier to medical advances.
Give an example of improvement in hospital care.
Florence Nightingale
What did Florence Nightingale do and why?
She believed that miasma cause disease so emphasised hygiene, fresh air, good supplies and training for nurses.
Was Florence Nightingale’s work widely spread?
Yes, in newspapers. She published books on nursing and hospital organisation and set up training school for nurses and midwives.
How does Florence Nightingale show change?
Because she managed to drop fatality rates by 99% in one year just by getting people to follow her methods, which is shown in her ‘rose diagram’.
