Key Words Flashcards
The Middle Ages AD 1000-1500
Medieval
Metallic objects that fly out of a bomb as it explodes
Shrapnel
A drug given to patients to put them into a deep sleep so that they can feel no pain.
Anaesthetic
Government funded health care which is funded by taxes.
National Health Service (NHS)
A drug used to kill bacteria that causes infection. The first was penicillin.
Antibiotic
To burn a wound in order to prevent infection and access bleeding.
Cauterise
Chemicals used to kill bacteria and prevent infection.
Antiseptics
An early type of anaesthetic.
Chloroform
Germs that cause infection and disease.
Bacteria / microbe
The ability of an organism to resist disease.
Immunity
A disease carried in water that has been contaminated by sewage.
Cholera
Inflammation of the lungs caused by an infection.
Pneumonia
Giving fresh blood to a patient to replace lost blood through injury or operation.
Blood transfusion
To cut open a body and examine the insides.
Dissect
A doctor who performs operations.
Surgeon
Herbal remedies that were sold in shops and were protected by a patent which meant no one else could copy them.
Patent medicines
To inject a person with a tiny amount of bacteria do that the body can develop immunity toward the disease it carries without side-effects.
Inoculate
A place where sewage collects.
Cesspool or cesspit
Someone who is skilled in dealing with pregnancies and childbirth.
Midwife
Treatment of a disease such as cancer, using chemicals.
Chemotherapy
Something that is injected into the body to make the body produce antibodies which will protect it against disease.
Vaccine
A germ free state.
Aseptic
The particular type of blood in the person. A blood transfusion can only be successful if both patients share the same blood type.
Blood group
The passing of a disease from one person to another.
Contagion
Excited and confused as a result of a high fever.
Delirious
The doctors opinion about what is wrong with a patient.
Diagnosis
The smallest part of an organism that is able to function on its own.
Cell
A disease that spreads quickly to many people.
Epidemic
The Ancient Greeks believed that the body contained four ‘humours’ of liquids : blood, phlegm, black bile and yellow bile.
Four humours
A section of DNA that contains information about a particular characteristic. E.G. Hair colour.
Gene
Changing the way genes work in the body.
Genetic engineering
The health of the general population. It also means measures taken to improve the health of the population such as providing clean water.
Public health
An army unit which contained between 800 and 1000 men.
Battalion
A lucky object believed to have magical powers.
Charm
The length of time a person is expected to live.
Life expectancy
An item used to the off blood vessels to prevent excess bleeding.
Ligature
A disease carried by mosquitoes.
Malaria
The parts that make up the body.
Anatomy
A particle living in the cells of animals that causes disease.
Germ
Proteins produced in the blood to fight harmful organisms.
Antibodies
To watch carefully.
Observe
The time before the birth of Christ.
BC
Anno Domini, used to describe date after the birth of Christ.
AD
A serious disease past to humans by the fleas carried on rats. ( the word was also used in early times to mean any serious illness)
Plague
Releasing blood from a cut made in the patient’s body in order to restore the balance of the body’s humours.
Bleeding
A micro-organism that causes disease.
Virus
A piece of skin removed from one part of the body to repair an injury or burn somewhere else on the body.
Skin graft
Something that cures sickness.
Remedy
A big change in the way people live and work, or in the way they are governed.
Revolution
To cut off a damaged arm, leg, hand or foot.
Amputation
The system introduced during WW2 to make sure food was shared fairly.
Rationing
A very poor housing area with few or no services such as running water or toilets.
Slums
A serious disease which was a common killer until a vaccine was discovered in the late 18th century.
Smallpox
Carbolic acid, used as a disinfectant and antiseptic.
Carbolic spray
Treating a patient and performing an operation on them.
Surgery
From Brazil was prescribed for dysentery and used to make people vomit.
Ipecac
The idea that illness can be transferred from a person to an object.
Transference
Making a large quantity of something using modern factory methods.
Mass production
A company that develops and produces medicine.
Pharmaceutical company
An official license which stops others from making the same product.
A patent
A shallow circular dish used to study bacteria.
Petri dish
A furry growth from rotting material in moist, warm conditions.
Mould
Official testing of a medicine in a controlled environment.
Clinical trial
NOK
Next of kin
GSW
Gun shot wound
PUO
Pyrexia of unknown origin
GH
General hospital
NYDN
Not yet diagnosed - nervous ( shell shock)
BAY
Bayonet
ADM
Admission
MLD
Mild
FH
Field hospital
CCS
Casualty clearing station
SEV
Severe
The route that injured soldiers would have taken on their way to the correct care.
Evacuation route
A system of splitting the wounded into groups according to who needed most urgent attention.
Triage
Decaying body tissue cause by a lack of blood to the body part.
Gangrene
Large military guns which fire high powered explosives and missiles.
Artillery
A term used to describe the missiles and bombs fired by artillery.
Shells
An infection caused by bacteria which poisons the body.
Tetanus
A gun, with a long barrel which can fire long distances.
Rifle
