Historical Figures Flashcards
Who was semmelweis?
Doctor in vienna in early 1800s
What was common in vienna and what did he notice?
Puerperal fever common in vienna where mothers die after childbirth.
Noticed two clinics, one had much lower mortality rate bc of fever
What was difference between clinics?
Clinic 1 was a teaching clinic that carried out autopsies
What made him realize clinic 1 was diff?
Friend died from symptoms similar to fever while carrying out autopsy
What did he propose?
Clinic 1 should wash their hands w chlorine
Why didnt doctors believe him?
Common wisdom was that diseases were spread by bad air or unfavorable atmospheric cosmic terrestrial influences (four humors)
Doctors felt offended that they needed to wash their hands
What is semmelweis reflex?
Metaphor for a certain type of human behaviour characterized of rejection of new knowledge bc contradicts social norms
Who is john snow?
Doctor in london in early 1800s
What did he do?
Cholera prominent in Britain. Thought it was bc of water pipes. He mapped out pipes and noticed cholera prominent in pipes near sewage. But no scientific explanation, just observation.
Who was louis pasteur?
Father of microbiology. Contributed to germ theory, pasteurization, vaccines
What did he prove and how?
Proved life must come from life, not inanimate. Through the swanneck experiment.
(One closed one opened. One opened had bacteria)
What is the germ theory?
Some diseases are caused by microorganisms, which invade hosts.
The growth and reproduction within host causes sickness
Germs include viruses, bacteria, protists
How does germ theory relate to STDs?
Stds are infectious diseases resulting from microorganisms that invade.
Bacteria causes gonnorhea
Viruses cause HIV
Fungi causes yeast infections
How does it happen?
Area surrounded by mucous membranes are susceptible to infection.
Germs can be transmitted through direct contact, exchange of fluids, or no contact
What else did louis pasteur contribute?
Tested cholera by injecting old culture of cholera into chickens
Chickens got sick but got better and immune.
