Medicine- early modern Flashcards
Individual Vesalius
1514-64
Challenged Galens work on anatomy and developed more accurate views of inside body from human dissections
Published De humani corporis fabrica which explained how different body systems work E.g skeleton 🩻
Opposition from Catholic Church as opposed Galen and physicians resistant to changes
Individual Pare
1510-90
Army surgeon
In Milan 1536 ran out of oil so couldn’t cauterise wounds so created mix of egg yolk , turpentine and rose oil to dress wounds
Crows beak clamp to halt bleeding
Ligatures to tie off wounds after amputation
Findings in book Les Oeuvres 1575
Leonardo da Vinci individual
1452-1519
Artist that studied human bodies to be shown in drawings/paintings
Illustrate medical books
Individual William Harvey
1578-1657
Most famous work ‘ on the motion of the heart ❤️’ challenged Galen
Experimented in animals and discovered blood pumped round in circular motion which led to discovery of circulation
Proved impossible to produce too much blood
Worked with cold blooded amphibians whose slow blood flow allowed observation of blood pumping
Opposition- supporters of Galen
Many thought he had “crack pot” ideas
Individual Thomas Sydenham
1624-89
Member of parliamentary army in English civil war
Set up as physician in London 1663
Strongly believe in observation of symptoms
Successfully treated ague type of malaria using chinchona bark
Successfully treated small pox with cool therapy- lots of fluids, moderate bleeding , keeping patient cool
People thought he was eccentric as he claimed it was best not to treat patients unnecessarily
Individual John Hunter
Dealt with gunshots wounds + amputations
Surgeon to king 👑 George III
Famous teacher of anatomy and spent hours dissecting bodies
Write natural history of teeth 1771
In 1785 using pioneering surgery on a aneurysm and man’s leg was saved
Accused of burking
Individual Lady Johanna St John
Lady of the manors role of healing
Lived at Lydiard house🏠
Compiled book of cures and compiled recipes to send to London
Grew herbs for cures in her walled garden 🪴
Individual Nicholas Culpepper
Published complete herbal in 1653
Still in print today
Wrote in English instead of Latin in attempt to help people
Treated people for free
What was quackery ?
People invent and sold medicines knowing they would not work often with made up claims
After Dutch word quacksalver ( someone who boasts loudly about cures)
What was a very popular quack medicine ? What was it claimed to do and what did it actually do ? Ingredients
Daffy elixir
Invented by Leicestershire Clergyman in 1647
Claimed to cure convulsion fits , constipation , agues , worms , gout , rheumatism , colic etc.
very little impact but was a suitable laxative
Ingredients - brandy, aniseed, raisins, fennel seed etc.
What were the two main ingredients of quack medicine?
Alcohol and opuim
What were common new ingredients from around the world that were used in medicine?
Rhubarb- hailed as wonder drug
Chinchona - plant contains quinine , drug used to treat malaria
Opium- residue from poppy plant used to reduce pain
Tobacco - uses in herbal remedies
What were improvements and limitations in surgery ?
+ people like pare improved surgery
+ surgeon skills improved e.g in 1720s William Chelsden of st Thomas hospital removed bladder stone in less than a minute
-still no anaesthetics wine and Opium widely used but could be fatal
- date rate very high
- Samuel Pepys was so relieved to survive bladder stone surgery he held a celebration on that date for the rest of his life
What were the changes in status and training of surgeons ?
In 18th century more than half doctors were apprentices
By 1856 of 10220 people on the medical directory only 4% had medical degrees from English unis
Many were members of royal college of surgeons
By 1811 regulations to be a surgeon you had to attend at least 1 course in anatomy and 1 in surgery
By 1813 you had to have min 1 years experience in hospital to be a surgeon
What are some key facts about small pox epidemics ?
Caused by variola virus
In 17th century between 30 and 60% victims died
Some survivors blind and disfigured by scars
In Britain 1796 epidemic killed 35000
Betw. 1837-40 further 42000 died
Queen Mary died of it in 1694
What was inoculation?
Lady Mary Montagu discovered it in Istanbul and brought to England in 1721
Mild form of smallpox introduced in to stretch between finger and thumb
When disease broke out in children her inoculated children survived
Church thought inoculation was wrong
Who came up with the vaccine and how ?
Edward Jenner a country doctor in Gloucestershire heard rumours milkmaids who caught cowpox never caught smallpox
He guessed they must be immune he chose a 9 year old boy James Phipps and injected him with puss from cowpox then after he recovered smallpox but he was immune
Submitted paper to royal society in 1797 but told he needed more evidence
Did further tests including on his 11 month old
1798 published A inquiry in to causes and effects of varioae vaccinae, or cow pox
Results of Edward Jenner vaccine ?
In 1802 awarded £10000 by government for his work and further £20000 in 1807 after Royal college of physicians confirmed how effective it was
Physicians who charged £20 for inoculation angry
Some thought it was punishment from god so wrong to limit spread
1840 made free for all enfants and compulsory in 1853
1866 anti vaccine league made to stop it being compulsory
1871 government fined parents who opposed
1887 when death rates dropped made it optional
In 20th century further life saving vaccines made for polio,measles etc.
When was the great plague ?
1665
What did they believe cause the great plague at the time ?
Miasma theory
God was angry with people for not attending church wearing pointy shoes , long hair, fancy clothes
What were the real reasons for the great plague?
Hot summer and London population continued to grow
Rubbish in streets
Squalor and poverty
Perfect breeding place for rats which carried disease carrying fleas
What were treatments to avoid the plague?
Public entertainment stopped
Pigs not kept in city
Dogs and cats killed
Rubbish from streets cleared
Houses with plague victims locked for up to 40 days with Red Cross on door
Public prayers on wed and fri
Weekly fasts
Fires lit to drive away bad air
Watchmen locked and guarded infected
Personal treatments to avoid plague?
Stayed indoors or fled to countryside
Fumigate houses and keep windows closed
People refused to touch others
Money dropped in to jars of vinegar
Carry perfume and wear lucky charms
What were cures for the plague?
Letters abracadabra written in triangle
Lucky hares foot
Dried toad
Leeches
Pressing plucked chicken against sores until it died
