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• Early Concepts of Disease:

  • Hunter-gatherers lived in small groups, hunted and foraged for food, and had a balanced diet
  • Mythology, superstition, and religion were early explanations for disease occurrence
  • The Agricultural Revolution led to a more secure food supply but also brought diseases from domesticated animals
  • The Hippocratic Corpus viewed diseases as imbalances with the environment
  • The Bubonic Plague was caused by Yersinia pestis bacteria transmitted by fleas
  • The primary mode of transmission for the plague was flea bites, not miasmas
• Ideas about Health:

  • John Graunt observed common causes of death and constructed life tables
  • Anton van Leeuwenhouk was the "father of microscopy" and discovered bacteria
  • John Pringle focused on hygiene to prevent diseases like typhus
  • James Lind linked scurvy to vitamin C deficiency
  • Francois Broussais used bloodletting for treatment
  • Ignaz Semmelweis introduced handwashing to prevent infections
  • John Snow is known as the Father of Epidemiology
  • Edwin Chadwick's report led to improvements in public health
• Public Health:

  • Defined as preventing disease, prolonging life, and promoting health through organized efforts
  • Involves expertise from various fields like biology, sociology, and medicine
  • Strategies include identifying health problems, determinants, developing interventions, and assessing effectiveness
  • Examples of public health programs include maternal and child health, family planning, and tobacco use reduction
• Community Health:

  • Focuses on maintaining, protecting, and improving the health of population groups and communities
  • Includes disciplines like epidemiology, biostatistics, environmental health, and behavioral health
  • Different from public health as it tends to focus on geographical areas
• Notable Discoveries:

  • Edward Jenner: Vaccination for smallpox
  • Robert Koch: Discovered disease-causing organisms
  • Alexander Fleming: Penicillin's effect on bacteria
  • Jonas Salk: Developed polio vaccine
  • Florence Nightingale: Improved sanitation and hospital management
  • Lillian Wald: Established nursing care for the poor
• Diseases and Viruses:

  • Cholera: Vibrio cholerae
  • Syphilis: Treponema pallidum
  • Leprosy: Mycobacterium leprae
  • Typhoid: Salmonella typhi
  • Black Death: Yersinia pestis
  • Typhus: Rickettsia prowazekii