Med 1700 - 1900

• Causes: ideas that were not believed

  the four humours

  astrology

  religion

  supernatural
• Causes: ideas that stayed the same

  Miasma
• causes: change

  spontaneous generation

  germ theory: 1861 Louis Pasteur
• Why was Louis Pasteur significant

  Germ theory challenged spontaneous generation

  proved microbes in the air caused disease

  he killed microbes by pasteurisation

  Henry Bastian rejected

  little impact in the short term
• Who rejected germ theory 1861


  Doctors such as Henry bastian
• Pasteurs germ theory in the short term

  Had little to no impact, it took a long time to convince people
• Pasteurs germ theory in the long term

  Was a significant turning point in medicine clearly identifying the cause of disease being germs and bacteria
• Robert koch

  Developed Pasteurs germ theory

  1876-discovered bacteria causing anthrax

  1882-bacteria causing tuberculosis

  1883-bacteria causing cholera

  agar jelly in a petri dish to grow pure cultures of bacteria

  chemical dye to stain bacteria so it could be easily seen under a microscope

  kochs methods inspired other scientists to discover causes of tetanus and pneumonia
• Robert kochs work 


  Significant breakthrough in further understanding the causes of disease
• What were some issues with surgery at the start of the 1700s?

  Blood loss, shock, pain, and infection
• Why was surgery performed in dirty conditions during the 1700s?

  Because there was a lack of sterilisation of equipment
• What substances were used as anaesthetics before 1800?

  Opium and alcohol
• When was ether discovered as the first anaesthetic?


  In 1846
• What were the drawbacks of using ether as an anaesthetic?

  It was flammable and irritated the lungs
• Who discovered chloroform and in what year?

  James Simpson in 1847
• How did Queen Victoria influence the use of chloroform?

  She promoted its use after the birth of her son in 1853
• What impact did chloroform have on surgical procedures?

  It allowed surgeons to perform deeper and more complex surgeries
• When was the first heart surgery performed?

  In 1896
• Chloroform disadvantages

  1850-1870 many overdoses

  known as the black period of surgery

  1848- Hannah greener died having toenail removed

  anaesthetics meant surgery was painfree

  chloroform did not resolve blood loss or infection
• 1850-1870 in surgery known as 


  The black period of surgery
• what was pasteurisation

  Louis Pasteur killed microbes by heating milk and beer
• What did Louis Pasteur prove


  Microbes in the air cause disease
• How much impact did Louis Pasteur have?


  Little impact in the short term
• Edward Jenner

  1790s- infected people with cowpox

  1790- infected people with cowpox

  1798- Royal Society refused to publish

  1802-royal jenerian society For vaccination

  1804- 12000 people vaccinated

  1837-smallpox epidemic killed 35,000

  1840-gov bans inoculation

  1840-pays for children’s vaccinations

  1852- vaccination compulsory

  1872-enforced

  1979-smallpox eradicated
• why people opposed the smallpox vaccination


  Wrong for humans to have animal disease

  Against gods plan

  Doctors who inoculated lost money over free vaccinations
• what did Edward Jenner do

  noticed cowmaids with cowpox didn’t get smallpox, made vaccination
• Public health

  Overcrowded, no running water, shared toilets, limited sewage

  -living conditions led to outbreaks of diseases

  -1842, Edwin Chadwick produced a report on living conditions
• life expectancy

  was 38 but 15 in Liverpool
• what did the government believe in

  laizzez faire meaning they were reluctant to make a change
• what did Edwin Chadwick suggest

  suggested that the government improve
• The 1848 public health act stated

  Government force town councils to improve water and sewage systems

  Collect taxes for improvements

  Medical officers to inspect conditions
• Why did public health improve after 1848


  Pasteurs germ theory was published 1861

  1867-working class men receive the right to vote for an mp in parliament
• what did men gaining the right to vote mean

  meant that politicians wanted to Appeal to the working class men by improving public health

  led to the 1875 public health act passed
• 1854 and 1866-67 cholera epidemics

  killed thousands
• great stink of 1858

  meant the river Thames smelt bad because of the sewage

  meant 1300 miles of sewers were built
• significance of the 1875 public health act

  authorities had to provide-

  clean water to stop diseases spreading

  • sewers to dispose waste
  • public toilets
  • street lighting
  • public parks for exercise
• public health inspectors have to inspect-1875

  lodging houses

  building of new homes

  food quality
• public health started to improve after the 1875 public health act
• how did people try and prevent cholera

  Burnt tar in the streets to drive away miasma

  Streets cleaned

  People employed to keep the streets clean
• john snow

  1849- theorised that cholera was caused by contaminated water

  1854- plotted outbreaks on a map

  -broad street pump- closest to most

  Removed the handle

  Stopped immediately

  -found that a cesspit was leaking into the water supply

  -proved his link but couldn’t explain it

  1855- snow presented the the government

  -recommended to build sewers

  Many rejected due to lack of scientific proof

  Board of health still blamed miasma