Unit 3 - Medicine in 18th and 19th century Britain c.1750-c.1900 Flashcards
What does the term Spontaneous generation mean?
A belief that decay causes germs to appear.
What does the term aseptic mean?
A germ free environment.
What does the term antiseptic mean?
Kills germs on a wound.
What does the term Lassez-faire mean?
Governments who do not get involved in the lives of their people.
When did Robert Koch discover the bacteria for tuberculosis?
1882.
What year did Koch discover the bacteria which caused cholera?
1883.
What did John Tyndall believe?
John Tyndall was a scientist who discovered particles in the air and linked his discovery with Pasteur’s germ theory and Lister’s work on wound infection.
He believed that that dust particles carried germs.
Because he was a scientist people did not trust him.
What year did Joseph Lister start using carbolic acid? How did he use it and who did he use it on?
- He operated on a patient with a broken leg and used bandages soaked in carbolic acid to cover the wound.
What infection was common and killed many patients after operations due to infection?
Gangrene.
In what year did Hannah Greener die? Why was this?
In 1848, 14-year-old Hannah Greener died from an overdose after having an infected toenail removed.
Why was there a black period in surgery?
When chloroform began to be used as an anaesthetic surgeons began to operate deeper into the body, and due to this more people died as blood loss and infection became much bigger problems.
Where did Joseph Lister publish his results?
In the medical journal, The Lancet, which showed that through using carbolic spray infections were reduced by 30%.
In what year, did surgeons begin sterilising all medical equipment before surgery? Whose work was this due to?
1887.
What year were sterilised gloves introduced in order to reduce the risk of infection during surgery?
1894.
What is sepsis?
(Septicaemia). Also known as blood poisoning. The body becomes overwhelmed with infection and can often cause death.
When was the germ theory published? How long did it take before the theory to be applied to surgery?
The germ theory was published in 1861 but it took 6 years before the theory was eventually applied to surgery.
What are the three key names in association with the smallpox vaccination?
Edward Jenner, Sarah Nelmes and James Phipps.
What did Louis Pasteur’s germ theory state?
The germ theory said that food went off because of contamination which was due to microbes in the air.
What is pasteurisation used for?
To keep food and drink free of disease.
What was the problem with the 1848 public health act?
It wasn’t compulsory
How did the second public health act stop another cholera epidemic?
It stated that clean water must be provided.
What was spontaneous generation?
Spontaneous generation was new idea by scientists in the early 18th century. It was simply the idea that microbes were the product of decay and they cause disease.
What did Pasteur’s theory claim?
1) Microbes cause decay and also disease.
2) The air is full of microbes
3) Microbes can be killed by heating them (Pasteurisation)
Why did Pasteur’s work have little impact?
Some doctors refused to accept that bacteria could make people ill, so they continued to believe spontaneous generation.
Why did Koch’s work impact medicine?
He inspired other scientists to discover the bacteria of other diseases.
