Medicine- Industrial Flashcards
What stayed the same in the Industrial
Theory of Causes: some scientists thought that germs were produced by decaying matter called spontaneous generation and most people thought miasma was still a cause but it was less popular.
Why were microscopes important
By 1700, microscopes allowed bacteria and germs to be seen through cloudy images and by 1850, extremely small images could be seen clearly- this was essential for scientific breakthroughs in the late 19th century.
What is Germ Theory
In 1861, Louis Pasteur published his Germ Theory, proving that microbes cause decay but was unable to prove that they caused disease but Robert Koch proved both after him.
Koch found microbes that caused Tuberculosis in 1882 and cholera in 1883, he developed a way of growing bacteria on agar jelly and that chemical dyes stained the bacteria.
He inspired others to research other microbes but many people in Britain still believed in spontaneous generation, despite Pasteur disproving it initially.
How did Florence Nightingale improve hospital conditions
Nursing wasn’t a respectable job for women but Nightingale attended the first nurses’ training school in Kaiserwerth hospital inn Germany.
She led a team of 38 nurses at the military hospital during the Crimean War (1854-1856)
She believed miasma caused disease, so demanded for 300 brushes to clean up the hospital and kept the air fresh and everything clean and in 6 months, the soldiers’ mortality rate dropped from 40% to 2%.
She greatly improvedhospital conditions and set up nursing schools when she came back to Britain.
How did hospitals change after Florence Nightingale
Hospital cleanliness and organisation improved, nurses were trained better and Germ Theory led to better hygiene.
Nurses were given a more central role, caring for patients and assisting doctors.
Infirmaries were set up for the poorest in society.
Specialist hospitals were developed.
These hospitals were for the mentally ill and for people with infectious diseases.
How did anesthetics develop
Before 1800, alcohol and opium were unsuccessful in easing pain and in 1844, laughing gas was used in dentistry but didn’t ease all pain and patients remained conscious.
From 1846, Ether was used and patients were unconscious and it lasted a long time but patients may cough during surgery and it was highly flammable.
James Simpson discovered chloroform in 1847 which was effective but the dosage was difficult to get right and killed some but he promoted its use and in 1853, Queen Victoria used it and spoke very well of it too.
How did antiseptics develop
Lister read Germ Theory, learning that carbolic acid kills parasites in sewage, so, in 1865, Joseph Lister soaks bandages in carbolic acid to avoid wounds getting infected.
He uses carbolic acid to clean wounds and equipment, he invents a spray to kill germs in the air.
He publishes his ideas stating that his wards have been free from infection for 9 months.
Lister inspired others to search for more prevention methods and by 1900, operating theatres would be cleaned, surgeons wore sterilised clothes and instruments would be fully sterilised.
What were the impacts and opposition of anesthetics and antiseptics
Impacts: patients didn’t struggle, so surgeons could take their time and do more complex surgeries with a lower death rate and higher succession rate and aseptic surgery was possible as antiseptics could clean wounds and wards.
What were the reasons for the 1875 Public Health Act
The government previously believed it wasn’t their job to improve living and conditions and they preferred a laissez-faire policy.
During the 1800s, this changed due to several epidemics and evidence showing that they were caused by poor living conditions.
In 1875, the Public Health Act was published saying that city authorities must provide: clean waters, sewers, public toilets, street lighting and public parks.
How did Edward Jenner find the vaccination against smallpox
He noticed that people with cowpox never caught smallpox.
Instead of inoculating people with a small version of smallpox, Jenner infected James Phipps with cowpox, then with smallpox, but none of them caught smallpox.
In 1798, the Royal Society refused to publish his ideas, so he included detailed instructions in another book called An Enquiry into the Causes and Effects of the Variola Vaccinae.
By 1800, 100,000 had been vaccinated.
In 1840, they were free and made compulsory in 1853.
Why was Jenner important and what opposition did he face
His work proved that scientific methods could wipe out disease and he saved millions of lives.
Although, he didn’t know why it worked so it didn’t lead to other vaccinations and other diseases were still killing people.
People opposed Jenner’s work because: they thought it was wrong to give people an animal’s disease, it interfered with God’s plan, free vaccinations lost doctors money and doctors didn’t always vaccinate people properly.
Pasteur was able to develop vaccinations against rabies, anthrax and chicken cholera.
How did John Snow stop the cholera outbreak in 1854
He was well-respected and in the 1848-1849 cholera epidemic, he studied it, thinking it was spread through contaminated water instead of miasma.
In 1854, he mapped all the deaths from cholera finding many lived near a water pump Broad Street so he removed its handle and the number of deaths fell a lot.
It was found that a cesspit was leaking waste into the well.
In 1855, he presented his findings to the government.
What was the significance of John Snow’s work
Many cholera deaths in Soho were prevented.
He had no scientific proof and this was before Germ Theory, so governments didn’t build a new sewer system in London, despite Snow’s recommendation.
His work combined with other evidence and in 1875, a new London sewer system was completed.
Snow’s work helped make the link between dirty water and disease which led to the Public Health Act which forced cities to provide clean water.
