history

• The Theory of the Four Humours:

  • Includes yellow bile, black bile, phlegm, and blood
  • Important to keep the patient's body in balance (through blood letting, purging, etc).
• Galen and Hippocrates came up with the theory of the 4 humours:

  • Hippocrates created it, Galen expanded on it
• Miasma: bad air believed to be filled with harmful fumes, with religious and supernatural explanations
• Medieval period (1250-1500):

  • Prevention and treatments included herbal remedies, astrology, leeches
• 1348: The Black Death arrived in England, quickly spreading and causing the death of almost 2 and a half million people, leading to the death of almost 1/3 of Europe's population
• Harvey discovered that blood circulates the body, improving the understanding of anatomy and physiology
• Renaissance period (1500-1700):

  • The Printing Press and The Royal Society founded in 1660 in London, debating new ideas and publishing journals about medicine and healthcare
• Edward Jenner created the first Smallpox vaccine in 1796, using Cowpox variolation to prevent Smallpox
• John Snow found the cause of cholera in dirty water in Britain in 1831, leading to the creation of London's sewage system by Joseph Bazalgette to prevent cholera
• Discovery of 'magic bullets' - chemicals that could kill microbes causing disease while leaving the body unharmed, including the use of chloroform as an anesthetic
• Pasteur and Germ theory:

  • Published germ theory in 1861, suggesting bacteria caused human diseases
  • Developed the first vaccine for rabies and tested Penicillin and antibiotics
• Modern Britain era (1900-present):

  • 1948: The NHS was founded, nationalizing hospitals and providing free treatment
• New treatments and improvements in diagnosis and prevention include advanced x-rays, robotics, micro-surgery, and the use of antiseptics by Lister
• the first magic bullet was the ‘Salvarsan 606’