Modern: 1900-Present

• Hereditary disease

  Illness passed from parent to child
• Magic bullet

  Chemical which kills disease, but does not affect rest of body
• Antibiotic

  Treatment which destroys or stops growth of bacteria in the body
• Penicillin

  First antibiotic
• Genetics


  Information about a person stored on DNA in every cell
• Scientific understanding of the cause of disease replaced ideas of Four Humours, miasma. Doctors use evidence based knowledge to diagnose patients.
• Technology developed to diagnose: blood tests; x-rays; ultrasound scans; endoscopes (camera which can see inside the body).
• 1900 a German scientist first came up with the theory of genetics, but microscopes were not powerful enough to prove the idea.
• Watson and Crick discovered the shape of DNA

  1953
• This meant they could find the part of the DNA which caused hereditary disease.
• Using this information, doctors can know if someone is likely to suffer from a hereditary illness, and take steps to prevent the impact
• Lifestyle factors impacting health

  • Smoking
  • Poor diet with too much sugar or fat (heart disease, type 2 diabetes)
  • Excessive alcohol, drug use, unprotected sex, tanning
• National Insurance Act 1911

  Only covered working men
• NHS 1948

  Provided free healthcare for all from cradle to grave, including hospital, GP, dentist, ambulance, health visitor
• Ongoing debate about cost / quality of NHS service
• Government approaches to prevention

  • Compulsory vaccinations
  • Laws to provide healthy environment (eg Clean Air Act 1956)
  • Communication about health risks of lifestyle choice (eg anti-smoking campaigns)
• Examples of Change

  • Use of science to diagnose / understand disease
  • NHS healthcare free for all
  • Government taking responsibility for public health
  • Huge increase in the amount of treatments / surgery which can be given
  • Lifestyle factors have become an important cause of disease / death
• Examples of Continuity


  • Still unable to treat some illnesses such as cancer and viruses
• Government realised smoking was a problem in 1950s, but made lots of money from tobacco tax.
• Government action on smoking

  • Advertising ban
  • Ban on smoking in public
  • Anti-smoking campaigns
  • Raising taxes