MODERN

• What were the institutions involved in Modern medicine?

  • British Government → Huge involvement in medicine

  → National Insurance Act (1911)              → NHS (1948)

  → Mass vaccination campaigns  → Lifestyle campaigns

  • American Government 

  → Funded Pfizer to mass produce penicillin in factories
• How did new science and technology play a part in Modern medicine?

  • Much easier for doctors to diagnose health problems 

  → CT scans, MRI scans, ultrasounds, and X-rays
• What were the attitudes in the Modern period?

  • Complete respect for science and research
  • Scientists around the world working together 

  → Human Genome Project (2003)  → Covid-19 vaccine
• What key individual discovered X-rays?

  • Roentgen 1895 - x rays
• What key individual discovered blood groups?

  • Landsteiner 1901 - blood groups
• What key individual discovered radiation?

  • Marie Curie 1903 - Radiation ( Radiotherapy)
• What key individuals discovered magic bullets?

  • Ehrlich developed Salvarsan 606 - 1909 to treat syphilis
  • Domagk developed Prontosil - 1932 to treat blood poisoning
• What did the key individual Fleming do?

  • discovered the antibiotic penicillin in 1928
• What did the key individuals Florey & Chain do?

  • tested and developed penicillin 1938-45
• What did the key individual Bevan do?

  • Aneurin Bevan led the creation of the NHS in 1948
• What did they key individuals Crick and Watson do?

  • Discovered the structure of DNA in 1953
• What causes of disease continued to be believed in during Modern period?

  • Germs - Understood and accepted by everyone
• What new causes of disease were there in the Modern period?

  • Genetic diseases
  • Franklin, Crick and Watson (1953) → Discovered the structure of DNA beginning our understanding of genes

  Examples of genetic disease → cystic fibrosis       → Type 1 diabetes

  Human Genome Project (2003) → led to a better understanding of genetic diseases

  • Lifestyle Factors - Understood that unhealthy living can cause disease
  • Eg. Poor diet & lack of exercise → obesity & heart disease
• What was a new treatment used in Modern period?

  • Magic bullets
  • Chemical cures → Kills germs without harming the body
  • Salvarsan 606 (Ehrlich, 1909) → Treated syphilis
  • Prontosil (Domagk, 1932) → Treated blood poisoning
• What was another new treatment used in the modern period?

  • Antibiotics
  • Penicillin 

  → Accidentally discovered by Fleming in 1928

  → Tested and developed by Florey and Chain (1938–45)

  → Mass produced with help from America and Pfizer

  → Over 2 million doses produced by the Allies in WW2

  - Treats and prevents infection → HUGE breakthrough
• How did people prevent disease in the Modern period?

  • Mass vaccinations
  • Used by the government to protect people

  → Polio (1950) → Tetanus (1961) → Covid–19 (2020)
• How did the Government help prevent disease in Modern period?

  • Clean Air Act (1956) → reduced pollution
  • Laws to prevent lung cancer

  → Smoking in public places banned (2007)

  → Plain cigarette packaging with warnings (2016)
• How did lifestyle campaigns help to prevent disease?

  • The NHS encourages healthy living

  → Stoptober – Encouraged to stop smoking

  → Change4Life – Healthier eating and exercise
• What were the different features of modern surgery?

  • Anaesthetics - Injected directly into the bloodstream from 1930 

  → easier to control dosage and faster effect

  • Aseptic surgery - Normal way of doing surgery → completely clean environment with sterilised tools and clothing
  • Transplants - Blood transfusions allowed organ transplants 

  → heart, lung, and kidney transplants to save lives

  • Hitech Surgery - Keyhole & robotic surgery → minimal invasiveness for reduced infection rate and faster recovery
• What is the context of the NHS?

  • Beveridge Report (1942) →Recommended a health service
  • NHS created (1948) →led by Labour Health Minister Bevan
• What was the impact of the NHS?

  • GP surgeries available to all → free of charge
  • Most medicines → free of charge
  • A&E & hospital care → free of charge
  • Campaigns to promote healthy living and public health
  • BUT → costs + aging population = no longer as effective
• What is the context of Lung cancer?

  • Early 1900s → smoking became increasingly popular
  • 1950 → Link between smoking and lung cancer proven
• What was the treatment for lung cancer?

  • Radiotherapy → Beams of radiation to kill cancer cells
  • Chemotherapy → chemicals used to shrink tumours
  • Transplant → Damaged lungs replaced from a donor
• How did people Prevent lung cancer?

  • 2007 → Smoking in public places banned
  • 2012 → NHS Stoptober campaign to encourage quitting
  • 2016 → cigarette packaging made plain with warnings