Medicine in The Industrial Revolution c1700-c1900

• what was spontaneous generation

  as matter decays microorganism were produced, these spread through miasma

  there was no evidence decay caused germs though
• Development's in the ideas about disease in c1700-c1900 , Summary

  Scientific revolution

  microscopes allowed scientists to examine microbes in more detail than ever

  Pasteur's Germ Theory explained how germs caused disease, Robert Koch developed this further, linked it to specific diseases

  eg. tuberculosis

  -> improved prevention & treatment

  
  

  Germ Theory has a strong resistance and the gov had a laissez-faire attitude until 1870s

  
  

  increasing evidence and application , Lister and Carbolic Acid, led to accepting Germ Theory
• miasmas influence in the industrial revolution

  people still believed in it but it became less popular near the end of the 1800s
• describe two features of spontaneous generation (4)

  -suggested how germs were created; it stated that decaying matter created microbes as a product of the process of decay

  - relied upon existing theories, stated that microbes were spread through miasma
• what did germ theory say

  air contains microbes

  high temp kills microbes

  microbes caused decay

  link between germs and disease
• who developed germ theory

  French scientist, louis Pasteur
• How did louis pas

  observed that microbes couldn't grow on sterilised matter which was left in an airtight container , so something in the air caused matter to rot
• difference between spontaneous generation and germ theory

  - germs create decay in germ theory

  - germs are created from decay in spontaneous generation
• pasteurs influence in britain

  no immediate impact, spontaneous generation remained popular until the 1870s.

  however people used this theory to make links

  Joseph Lister, Germ Theory & issues of infection after theory
• what slowed down the speed of change c1200 - Present


  Public attitudes

  - For example, people still continued to believe in the theory of the four humours even though medical professionals knew it was wrong

  - Similar to people clinging onto miasma instead of embracing Germ Theory
• Robert Koch's work on microbes

  linked germs to disease

  eg. 1882 discovered the bacteria responsible for tuberculosis

  1884 ,also confirmed water spread disease

  
  

  revolutionised bacteriology

  developed techniques making it easier to see microbes under a microscope

  eg. agar jelly & staining bacteria
• Koch's Influence In Britain


  scientists recognised treatment of the bacteria rather than the disease

  eg. diphtheria, bacteria created a poison that remained in the throat when breathed in

  
  

  some till doubted the importance of his discovery

  - gov believed in miasma

  - gov ignored Koch's work on cholera being waterborne
• explain one way in which the ideas about the cause of illness in the years c1250 - c1500 were different from ideas about the cause of illness in c1700 - c1900 (4)

  -Miasma

  - In The Medieval Period miasma was seen as a key explanation for illness, people stayed away from swamps corpses and rotting objects in order to avoid being sick

  - However towards the end of the 1800s Miasma was a less popular belief, Pasteur and Kock explained how microbes caused sickness
• What is important to remember when comparing change in the Industrial Revolution to the Medieval and Renaissance ?

  The 1800s marked a turning point in the ideas about disease.

  Due to scientific breakthroughs, this is a significant period of change.

  Technology and expertise were available to disprove old beliefs and support science based theories
• factors affecting understanding the cause of disease

  technological developments

  Pasteur & Koch

  governments laissez-faire attitude to public health

  society wanted to know why disease spread in poorer living conditions
• positive of hospitals in the 1700s

  curing patients, med professionals on site

  increased access, to the 'deserving poor'

  isolation, separated infectious patients

  more hospitals
• negative of hospitals in the 1700s

  selective, turned away 'idle poor'

  unhygienic, doctors didnt wash hands

  availability, some places had more hospitals than others
• what happened with Florence nightingale in Crimea

  went to improve hospital conditions

  - areas w patients were free from dirt

  - organised the nurses = more efficient treatment

  - clean bedding, ventilation and good meals

  mortality rates dropped from 40% to 2%
• impact of florence nigh

  -established 'nightingales school for nurses' at St Thomas Hospital in London

  -nursing became a respected skilled profession for women

  -increased number of nurses

  - ' pavilion style' hospitals
• what were pavilion style hospitals


  built on open ground and the hospitals had separate wings with wards for infectious diseases
• hospitals by 1900s / the end of the industrial era


  issues with paying for medical care

  hospitals adopted aseptic practices

  many areas still lacked hospitals

  modern facilities, to attract student doctors
• describe 2 features of a hospital by 1900 (4)

  -Hospitals by 1900 were focused on hygiene, understood Germ Theory and used antiseptics to avoid spreading infections

  - Another feature is that hospitals were more advanced, had new specialist departments and equipment to conduct different procedures
• early development of anaesthetics

  nitrous oxide for small operations

  ether in 1846

  however there were problems with ether;

  - caused vomiting

  - irritated lungs

  - was flammable
• risks of chloro


  - overdose = death

  - could affect the heart

  eg. girl died during toenail removal whiles under chloroform

  - infection and bleeding
• rewards of chloroform


  - better for reducing pain

  - lasted longer , for more complex surgeries, forced advancements in antiseptics

  - Simpson gained knighthood for his services to medicine = more accepted
• How did John Simpson realise chloroform was a good anaesthetic

  1847 he gathered his friends to smell various chemicals in order to find a better anaesthetic to laughing gas

  they passed out from it, confirmed potential
• explain one way in which methods of pain relief in the years c1250-c1500 were different to pain relief in c1700-c1900 (4)

  - use of chemicals

  - in the medieval period barber surgeons had no understanding of the properties on certain chemicals, they relied on their patients biting down on wood to relieve pain

  - whereas in 1847, Simpson relied on chloroform which made the patient unconscious, removing all pain
• surgery in the 1700s

  - surgeons did not understand the importance of cleanliness

  - did not wash hands or clean operating theatre

  - operating theatres were busy

  - 'dressers' held the patient still

  - patients died post - surgery
• disadvantages of carbolic acid

  - dried out the skin and smelled, made surgeons hands sore

  - surgeons didn't understand the science behind them, were not willing to use them
• advantages on carbolic acid

  - encouraged scientists to discover new antiseptic methods
• what did joseph lister realise from observations

  inspired by germ theory

  noticed flesh rotted, microbes caused wine and vinegar to go bad it could do the same for flesh

  so he wanted to preventing flesh from rotting
• joseph listers application of carbolic acid

  1865, he soaked a bandage with carbolic acid and applied it to a broken leg after surgery, it healed without infection

  11 successful operations were carbolic acid was sprayed
• opposition to antiseptics and anaesthetics

  - God wants women to feel pain in childbirth

  - Patients will die if they're unconscious

  - germs don't exist

  - death rates are increasing from these anaesthetics
• aseptic methods


  by 1900 surgeons had developed methods of aseptic surgery

  - wore rubber gloves & gowns

  - sterilised equipment in boiling steam

  - removed bacteria from the air, heating air

  - washed hands, face & arms before entering
• what is important to remember when comparing improvements in treatments in the Renaissance to the Industrial revolution ?

  Pasteur's breakthrough allowed better understanding however, improvements in treatment took longer due to public and professional resistance to apply & accept Germ Theory

  
  

  treatments using germ theory had damaging side effects

  1800s treatments were experimental but underpinned by science, only a matter a time before they're safer and more effective
• issues with inoculation


  expensive

  some people died in the process
• what was the inoculation process with smallpox ?

  an inoculator would rub pus from a small pox scab into a cut on the patient or crush the scab and make them snort it

  this was so they could get a mind case of small pox and never catch it again
• how did jenner come up with a smallpox vaccination

  realised dairymaids did not catch smallpox, they were regularly treated for cowpox

  he tested the link w cow & smallpox

  1776, he gave a young boy cowpox, 6 weeks later he infected the boy with smallpox and he did not catch it
• reactions to the new smallpox vaccination

  - public; strange and wrong to use an animal disease

  - the church ; using animal diseases is agaisnt Gods will

  - inoculators ; fear of losing job , they wanted to stop this
• governments reaction to the smallpox vaccination

  - preferred vaccination to inoculation as it was much safer & cheaper

  - 1852, smallpox vaccination became compulsory, for children up to 3 months

  - banned inoculation 1840