AQA GCSE Health through Time

• The NHS was set up to ensure that everyone had access to healthcare regardless of their ability to pay
• William Harvey published his findings about circulation in 1628.
• William Harvey proved that the heart pumps blood round the body.
• William Harvey observed that the heart beat slowed down as it filled with blood.
• William Harvey realised that the heart must have its own source of energy so he could explain why the heart kept going even if the animal was dead.
• William Harvey suggested that the heart gets its energy from the blood itself.
• William Harvey also noticed that the arteries are thicker than the veins which means they can carry more blood.
• William Harvey thought that the arteries carried oxygenated blood while the veins carried deoxygenated blood.
• William Harvey's ideas were very important because they helped people understand what happens inside our bodies.
• William Harvey's ideas led to new treatments being developed such as open-heart surgery.
• Andreas Vesalius Studied anatomy, became professor of surgery and anatomy. He did his own dissections and wrote books based on his observations using accurate diagrams to illustrate his work. His most famous book was ‘On The Fabric of the Human Body’ written in 1543.He was able to point out some of Galen’s mistakes. Vesalius encouraged doctors to question and look for themselves.
• The Great Plague of 1665. This was the worst of the reappearances of the Black Death. The death toll in London was about 100 000.
• Efforts were made to control the spread of disease. Households were locked in and red crosses were painted on their doors with the words, “Lord have mercy upon us.” Carts organised by the authorities roamed the city to the now infamous cry of “Bring out your dead!” collecting corpses for mass burial in “plague pits”. People realised disease was contagious, but they still didn’t understand about germs causing disease. The Great Fire of London in 1666 effectively sterilised large parts of London, killing the plague bacteria.