1900- present

• 1900-present causes:

  • The Germ Theory
  • DNA
• 1900-present treatment:

  • Antibiotics
  • Pills
  • Chemotherapy
  • Surgery
  • Antiseptic
  • Anaesthetic
  • Microsurgery
• 1900-present preventions:

  • NHS
  • Vaccinations
  • Scans
• 1900-present care of the sick:

  • NHS
  • GP research
  • Nurse training
• 1900-present key people/events:

  • Fleming
  • Florey and Chain
  • Watson and Crick
  • Bevan
• 1900-present discoveries/inventions:

  • Magic bullets (Salvarson 606 and Prontosil)
  • Penicillin
  • DNA
  • Transplants
  • Genetic
  • Radio/chemotherapy
• Magic bullets


  Chemical would "shoot" the the infection, not the patient
• Paul Ehrlich


  • Developed the concept of magic bullets
• Salvarsan 606


  Used to treat the STD Syphilis, made from arsenic so it was also poisonous
• Prontosil


  The 2nd magic bullet, killed the bacteria causing blood poisoning
• Gerhard Domagk


  • Founder of Prontosil, tested it on mice then on his own daughter and luckily she recovered
• Sulphonamide


  The key ingredient in Prontosil that killed bacteria
• Prontosil helped mothers dying from post natal infection drop from 20% to 5%
• Penicillin


  First antibiotic made using microbes and not chemicals
• Alexander Fleming


  • Accidentally discovered penicillin when he left a Petri dish with bacteria on, found it could kill bacteria on the outside the body but not the inside
• Florey and Chain


  • Managed to create a pure penicillin which kill bacteria inside the body
• During WW2, the US government funded and mass produced penicillin (over 2.3 million doses)
• The NHS made penicillin free for all
• DNA


  Genetic material found in every human cell and passed down from parents to children
• Watson and Crick


  • Discovered the structure of DNA and proved it was in every human cell
• Rosalind Franklin


  • First person to X-ray photograph DNA
• Human Genome Project


  Identify the purpose of each gene in the human body
• Doctors could now identify specific genetic disorders, predicting when someone is more predisposed to something
• National Insurance Act 1911


  Provided medical care for all tax paying workers (none for wives/children though)
• NHS 1948


  Provide medical care for all the population, paid for by British taxes
• Vaccinations


  • Diphtheria 1942
  • Polio 1956 (no cases since 1984)
  • Tetanus 1961
  • Measles 1968
  • Rubella 1970
• Lifestyle Campaigns


  Promote healthier lifestyles, warn against dangers of smoking, binge aid, drug use and unprotected sex
• Everyone over the age of 40 is given the opportunity to have a health check every 5 years
• Attitudes towards health changed during the 20th century, with a greater focus by the public and government to increasing health
• Fleming was appalled at the deaths by infection during WW1 and was inspired to search for better antibiotics
• Lung cancer


  85% of those who get it are people who do or have smoked
• Lung cancer diagnosis


  • CT
  • PET-CT
  • Bronchoscope
• Lung cancer treatment


  • Surgery
  • Chemotherapy
  • Radiotherapy
  • Immunotherapy
• Lung cancer prevention


  • Changing behaviour: 2007 - smoking banned in public places, 2015 - extended to cars, Taxes on tobacco increased, Must be 18 to buy cigarettes
  • Influencing behaviour: Advertising Campaigns