Industrial: 1700-1900

• Anaesthetic


  A drug which makes a patient unconscious during surgery
• Germ


  A small organism which can cause disease
• Microbe


  Germ that can cause disease
• Spontaneous generation


  Idea about cause of decay
• Epidemic


  Rapid spread of a disease
• Louis Pasteur published Germ Theory in 1861, observing that "microbes" present in the air made liquids rot. He proved microbes could be killed by heat (pasteurisation)
• In 1878 Pasteur published Germ Theory of infection, proving microbes caused disease in humans
• Robert Koch identified that different microbes caused different diseases. First discovered cholera in 1883. He came up with methods to study bacteria (grow in petri dish, stain with dye to make easier to see)
• In Britain, doctors led by Henry Bastian did not believe in Germ Theory. They still believed in Spontaneous Generation (microbes spread from rotting matter by miasma). The British government rejected germ theory until the end of the 19th century
• Florence Nightingale: nurse in Crimean War 1854; hospital design ideas
• Louis Pasteur published Germ Theory


  1861
• Pasteur's observations

  • Microbes present in the air
  • Microbes made liquids rot (investigating rotting beer)
  • Microbes could be killed by heat (pasteurisation)
• Pasteur published Germ Theory of infection, proving microbes caused disease in humans

  1878
• Robert Koch's work

  • Identified different microbes caused different diseases
  • First discovered cholera in 1883
  • Developed methods to study bacteria (grow in petri dish, stain with dye)
• Koch's work meant that scientists studied diseases, not symptoms
• GB doctors led by Henry Bastian did not believe in Germ Theory, still believed in Spontaneous Generation
• GB government rejected germ theory until end of C19th
• Florence Nightingale's impact

  • Nurse in Crimean War 1854
  • Made changes to hospital treatment (sanitation, nurses, good meals)
  • Mortality rate fell from 40% to 2%
  • Set up nursing college, designed hospitals, wrote "Notes on Nursing"
• Surgery problems

  1. Pain

  2. Infection

  3. Blood loss
• Anaesthetic


  Developed to deal with pain
• Antiseptic

  Developed to deal with infection, using carbolic acid
• Edward Jenner's vaccination


  • Developed to protect against smallpox
  • Previously people had been inoculated (given small dose of disease to develop immunity)
  • 1776 Jenner worked out you could make someone immune to smallpox by injecting a small amount of cowpox
  • Faced lots of opposition
• Public Health Act 1848

  1. Encouraged cities to provide clean water, but not compulsory

  2. 1852 government makes smallpox vaccinations compulsory

  3. 1875 Public Health Act, city authorities forced to provide clean water, dispose of sewage, have public health officer
• Examples of Change

  • Germ Theory - understanding germs cause disease
  • Surgery became safer
  • Hospitals more clean
  • Government became more involved in health/medicine
  • Vaccines developed to prevent disease