industrial

• How did Edward Jenner develop the first vaccine?

  • In 1796, Jenner discovered that milkmaids who had cowpox did not catch smallpox
  • He injected a boy (James Phipps) with cowpox, then he exposed him to smallpox - he did not develop the disease, proving vaccination worked
• Why was Jenner's smallpox vaccine significant?

  • First ever vaccine that prevented disease instead of just treating symptoms
  • Led to the eradication of smallpox (declared by WHO in 1980) and inspired the development of future vaccines
• Why did some oppose Jenner's vaccine?

  • Some did not trust new ideas and preferred traditional inoculation
  • Others feared it was unnatural (as it used cowpox) or dangerous, and some doctors lost money from inoculation
• What were the main beliefs about the causes of disease before Germ Theory?

  • The Miasma Theory was still widely accepted
  • Some believed in Spontaneous Generation (the idea that disease caused bacteria, rather than the other way around
• How did Louis Pasteur's Germ Theory (1861) change medicine?


  • proved that germs (microorganisms) caused disease, disproving spontaneous generation
  • Led to developments in vaccines, antiseptics, and public health measures
• How did Robert Koch build on Pasteur's work?

  • Identified specific bacteria that caused disease (e.g., tuberculosis in 1882, and cholera in 1883)
  • Developed staining techniques to make bacteria easier to study
• Why did Germ Theory face resistance at first?

  • Doctors were reluctant to abandon old ideas like miasma and spontaneous generation
  • It took time for the medical profession to accept Germ Theory and apply it to treatment and prevention
• What were the key improvements in hospital care during the 19th century?

  • Florence Nightingale (Crimean war, 1854-1856) promoted hygiene, fresh air, and well trained nurses
  • Hospitals became cleaner, better ventilated, and had more specialist wards
• How did surgery improve in the 19th century?

  • Anaesthetics - James Simpson discovered chloroform in 1847, making surgery painless
  • Antiseptics - Joseph Lister introduced carbolic acid in 1865, reducing infection rates in surgery
• Why was there opposition to chloroform as an anaesthetic?

  • Some believed pain was necessary, especially during childbirth
  • Doses were difficult to control, leading to deaths (e.g. Hannah Greener in 1848)
• How did antiseptics change surgery?

  • Lister's carbolic spray (1865) massively reduced infections, lowering the death rate from amputations from 50% to 15%
  • Led to the development of aseptic surgery (fully sterilised operating rooms and instruments by the 1890's)
• How did John Snow probe cholera was waterborne?

  • In 1854, he mapped cholera cases in Soho and linked them to the Broad Street water pump.
  • Removing the pump handle stopped the outbreak, proving contaminated water spread cholera
• Why was John Snow's discovery not accepted immediately?

  • Many still believed in Miasma Theory
  • Germ Theory hadn't been discovered yet, so Snow couldn't scientifically prove how cholera spread
• How did the Public Health Act of 1875 improve living conditions

  • Forced local councils to provide clean water, proper sewage systems, and waste collection
  • Made public health improvements compulsory rather than optional (unlike the 1848 act)
• How did industrialisation affect public health in the 19th century?

  • Rapid urbanisation led to overcrowding, poor sanitation, and frequent disease outbreaks (e.g. cholera)
  • Government was initially reluctant to intervene, but public health laws gradually improved conditions
• What period does Industrial Medicine cover?

  1. 1700–1900
• What major theories were rejected during the Industrial period?

  Miasma and the Four Humours
• What were the key changes in medicine during the Industrial period?

  • Germ Theory (1861) established microorganisms as disease causes.
  • Increased government responsibility for public health.
  • Advancements in surgery and hospital care.
  • Development of new vaccines and disease prevention methods.
  • Initial resistance from some doctors to new ideas.
• Who developed the first vaccine in medical history?

  Edward Jenner
• What observation led Edward Jenner to develop the smallpox vaccine?

  Milkmaids with cowpox did not get smallpox
• In what year did Edward Jenner inject James Phipps with cowpox?

  1796
• What was the significance of Jenner's findings published in 1798?

  It introduced the term vaccination
• What was the impact of the government making vaccination compulsory in 1852?

  It led to smallpox eradication by 1980
• What was Louis Pasteur's major contribution to medicine?

  Proved microorganisms cause disease
• What experiment did Pasteur use to demonstrate germs in the air?

  Swan-neck flask experiment
• What theories did Pasteur disprove?

  Miasma and spontaneous generation
• What vaccines did Pasteur develop?

  Anthrax, cholera, and rabies
• How did Pasteur's work influence public health?

  It led to public health improvements
• What did Robert Koch prove about bacteria?

  Specific bacteria cause specific diseases
• What bacterium did Koch identify in 1876?

  Anthrax bacterium
• What technique did Koch use for bacteria identification?

  Agar plates and dye-staining techniques
• What was the impact of Koch's work on medicine?

  Allowed targeted disease treatment
• Who introduced antiseptic surgery?

  Joseph Lister
• What substance did Lister introduce to prevent infections?

  Carbolic acid
• What was the death rate reduction achieved by Lister's antiseptic methods?

  From 46% to 15%
• What did Lister's work lead to in surgery?

  Aseptic surgery practices
• What did John Snow prove about cholera?

  It was waterborne
• What investigation did John Snow conduct in 1854?

  Broad Street Pump investigation
• What action did Snow take to stop the cholera outbreak?

  Removed the pump handle
• What was the impact of Snow's work on public health?

  Convinced government to invest in public health