Modern medicine

    Cards (137)

    • What was the life expectancy in 1900?
      Below 50 years of age
    • What percentage of babies died before their first birthday in 1899?
      16.3%
    • Why did most families not see a doctor in 1900?
      They could not afford the fee
    • What was the status of vaccines in 1900?
      Some vaccines existed, but many diseases spread
    • Why were many illnesses not cured in 1900?
      No antibiotics or effective medicines existed
    • What limited surgery in 1900?
      Blood loss during operations
    • How much has life expectancy increased since 1900?
      Nearly doubled
    • What were some key changes that improved life expectancy after 1900?
      • Germ Theory and discovery of DNA
      • Effective anaesthetics and antiseptics
      • Vaccinations against more diseases
      • Public Health Acts of 1848 and 1875
      • Development of antibiotics and chemical drugs
      • Establishment of the NHS in 1948
    • What was the Public Health Act of 1848 about?
      It aimed to improve public health
    • How did wars influence medical advancements?
      Increased government spending and research
    • What was the role of communication and education in health improvements?
      Ideas spread rapidly as most could read
    • What was the significance of the Beveridge Report in 1942?
      It influenced the establishment of the NHS
    • What are magic bullets in medicine?
      Chemicals that target specific bacteria
    • Who discovered Salvarsan 606?
      Paul Ehrlich
    • What was the first magic bullet used to treat syphilis?
      Salvarsan 606
    • What was the significance of Prontosil?
      It was the first drug to treat bacterial infections
    • What did Alexander Fleming discover in 1928?
      Penicillin mould that killed bacteria
    • How did Fleming's discovery of penicillin differ from earlier knowledge of mould?
      He recognized its potential for treating infections
    • What was the impact of Florey and Chain's research on penicillin?
      It led to the mass production of penicillin
    • What was the outcome of the first human trial of penicillin?
      The patient improved but ultimately died
    • When did the mass production of penicillin begin?
      During World War II
    • How did the US government contribute to penicillin production during WWII?
      Funded 21 companies for mass production
    • What was the estimated impact of penicillin on Allied soldiers during WWII?
      Saved 12-15% of wounded soldiers' lives
    • What were the key factors in the development of antibiotics?
      • Research by scientists like Ehrlich and Domagk
      • Use of technology like electron microscopes
      • Mass production capabilities in factories
      • Government funding and support
      • Collaboration among research teams
    • What was penicillin recognized as?
      A very powerful drug
    • Why did Florey and Chain need a large factory?
      To grow and extract penicillin on an industrial scale
    • Which country did Florey approach first for penicillin production?
      British pharmaceutical companies
    • Why did American companies start producing penicillin in June 1941?
      Because the USA had not joined the war yet
    • How was penicillin initially produced in the USA?
      In beer vats
    • How many people could be treated with penicillin by the end of 1941?
      Ten people
    • What happened when the US government noticed the impact of penicillin?
      They funded 21 companies to mass produce it
    • When did the Allied armies begin to use penicillin?
      In 1943
    • How many doses of penicillin was the US army using monthly by 1945?
      Two million doses
    • What percentage of wounded Allied soldiers might have died without penicillin?
      12-15 percent
    • What other uses did penicillin have besides treating infections?
      Preventing infection after tooth extraction
    • What was discovered to be effective against tuberculosis?
      Streptomycin
    • Who mapped the chemical structure of penicillin?
      Dorothy Hodgkin
    • What is the significance of the first penicillin-resistant strain of bacteria?
      It appeared in 1942
    • What did the work of Pasteur and Koch prove wrong?
      The miasma theory of disease
    • Who published the theory of inheritance in 1866?
      Gregor Mendel
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