Modern period

• Who is Louis Pasteur?

  • proved that bacteria was the cause of disease
  • he done an experiment to find out why drinks sometimes went sour
  • was able to understand the process of fermentation and how to prevent it
  • which was done through heating the liquid to a certain temperature to kill the bacteria, stopping the drink from going bad
  • it is called pasteurisation
• What experiment did Pasteur do?

  • he used a swarm neck flask
  • and found out when the particles got stuck in the long neck it was unable to meet the liquid so no souring took place
• What did louis pasteur publish?

  • 1861 germ theory
  • however it was not accepted quickly by people in Britain
  • they believed that microbes was caused my decaying matter (spontaneous generation)
• Who is Robert Koch

  • he was able to identify some of the bacteria which causes disease (as louis Pasteur was unable to do that)
  • he done this by growing bacteria using agar jelly on a petri dish
  • then stain the bacteria to be able to see it clearly under a microscope
  • he was able to find the bacteria which caused tuberculosis and cholera
• What did Pasteur do when the bacteria which caused disease had been identified?

  • he decided to develop vaccines for both human and animals
  • 1885- a human vaccine for rabies was tested on a dog which saved his life
• Who was Florence Nightingale

  • she worked hard to improve the hospital conditions, as there were lack of food and medicine supplies and also sanitation
  • soldiers who came in with an injury would often get another type of illness
  • she ensured that hands were washed regularly and making improvements to sewerage
  • improve ventilation
• What did Mary seacole do?

  • helped treat soldiers with cholera
• What were some developments in hospital?

  • voluntary hospitals which were paid by the wealthy
  • poor people were also looked after and were admitted into a work house
  • there were fever hospitals- for those suffering with infectious diseases. They aim was to treat them but also keep them separate from the general public
• what was the spontaneous generation?

  • the theory that microbes were created by decaying matter
  • but actually microbes were the cause of decay
• Who discovered an effect anesthetic and what was it called?

  What was the old anesthetic called?

  What were the positives and negatives of the new anesthetic?

  • James Simpson found that chloroform vapour was a more effective anesthesia than Ester
  • as Ester made people vomit
  • chloroform meant that doctors could attempt more complex surgeries however infection and bleeding became a problem
• What did Lister discover?

  what acid was used as an antiseptic and when was it used as well?

  what were the negatives of antiseptics?

  • link infection to the germ theory and discovered that germs could also infection
  • so he discovered that carbolic acid helped keep the wound clean and was also sprayed during the operation in the air
  • people did not understand the science behind it and also it dried out the skins so it made the surgeons hands sore
• What was aseptic surgery?

  what was sterilised and what was done to the operating theatre?

  what was now worn during surgery?

  • removing germs from the operating theatre
  • surgical instruments were sterilised
  • operating theatres were cleaned
  • gloves, gowns and masks were worn during surgery
• What were the problems with early blood transfusion?

  • blood groups had not been discovered?
  • infection could be passed on
  • risk of the blood clotting
• What was the development for the vaccine for small pox

  • before germ theory people did not know what caused small pox
  • so people believed in inoculation which was infecting someone with a disease so that they would not get a stronger version of the same disease
  • however it was expensive and also caused death
• What is Jenner discover?

  • that milkmaids who got cow pox did not get small pox
  • so he injected a young boy with cowpox and then 6 weeks later with small pox
  • and he did not get the disease
• How did the government react to the vaccine?

  • they preferred it over inoculation and it was cheaper
  • so in 1840 inoculation became illegal
  • the government paid for children's small pox vaccine from taxes
  • those who refused to vaccinate their children were fined
• What was the opposition faced by the vaccine?

  • Jenner could not scientifically explain it as (louis Pasteur germ theory was not yet made)
  • Inoculators were afraid of loosing money
  • church members did not believe it was natural
• Who discovered blood transfusion

  • Harvey proved that the blood circulates and it encouraged Blood transfusions
  • 1901 karl Landsteiner discovered blood groups and it made blood transfusion successful
  • they also discovered that blood could be bottled, stored and packed in ice