History of Health Timeline Kylie Legarreta

By 23kylie.legarreta@boiseschools.net
  • 4000 BCE

    Primitive times

    Illness and diseases were believed to be caused by evil spirits and demons and curses from the gods. Tribal witch doctors used herbs and plants as medicines. Trepanation was commonly used for lots of things. Lifespan average was 20.
  • 3000 BCE

    Ancient Egyptians

    Physicians were priests. Blood letting or leeches used for many medical purposes. Ancient Egyptians were the first to make medical records. The lifespan was 20-30 years.
  • 1700 BCE

    Ancient Chinese

    They believed in healing the soul to heal the body. Used many herbs for medicine. Used therapies like acupuncture. They began to search for medical reasons for illness. Average life span was 20-30 years.
  • 1200 BCE

    Ancient Greeks

    Hippocrates and other physicians made many discoveries in the medical field. First to look into the human body and the effects of disease. Believed that illness was from natural causes. They used massage, herbal and art therapy. They pushed good hygiene, diet, and exercise to prevent disease. The average life span was 25-35 years.
  • 753 BCE

    Ancient Romans

    They were the first to organize medicine by treating wounded soldiers. Monasteries and convents were used as hospitals. They had the first public health and sanitation systems because of their sewers and aqueducts. Because of Galen, they believed that blood, phlegm, black bile, and yellow bile regulated the body. The average lifespan was 25-35 years.
  • 400

    The Dark Ages

    The study of medicine was prohibited, The emphasis was on saving the soul. They used prayer and divine intervention to treat illness and disease. Monks and priests cared for the sick. Medications were mostly herbal. Disease was still blamed on circumstance. Average lifespan was 20-30 years.
  • 800

    Middle Ages

    There was a renewed interest in Roman and Greek medical practices. In 1100 Arabs began requiring licences and passing examinations to be a physician. The Bubonic Plague killed 75% of the population in Europe and Asia in 1346-1353. Smallpox, diphtheria, tuberculosis, typhoid, the plaque, and malaria were the major diseases. There were medical universities established in 1220-1255. The average lifespan was 20-35 years.
  • 1350

    Renaissance

    There was a rebirth of the science of medicine. There was an increased understanding of the anatomy and physiology because of body dissections. In 1440 the printing press led to more medical knowledge open to the public. Andreas Vesalius Published the first anatomy book in 1543. Disease was still a mystery. The average lifespan was 30-40 years.
  • 1500

    16th and 17th centuries

    The French Surgeon Ambroise Pare established the use of ligatures to stop bleeding in the 1500's. In the 1600's apothecaries made, prescribed, and sold medication. The microscope was invented in 1670 and it was a huge advancement that allowed physicians to see disease-causing organisms. Many people died of infections and the cause of disease was still not known. The average lifespan was 35-45 years.

  • 18th century

    The first mercury thermometer was invented by Gabriel Fahrenheit in 1714. Benjamin Franklin invented the bifocals in 1760. Scientific surgical practices were established and tube feeding was introduced by john Hunter in 1778. In 1798 the smallpox vaccine was found. The average lifespan was 40-50 years.

  • 19th century

    Rapid advancements because of the discoveries of microorganisms, anesthesia, and vaccinations. The x-ray machine was developed in 1895. The first open heart surgery took place in 1893. The stethoscope was invented in 1816. Formal training for nurses began in 1860.

  • 20th century cont.

    The first bone morrow transplant happened in 1956. Test tube babies in 1978. Kidney transplants in 1960. Liver transplants in 1963. Heart transplants in 1967. Artificial heart transplants in 1982.

  • 20th century

    ABO blood groups were discovered in 1901. Insulin was discovered and used to treat diabetes in 1922.Antibiotics such as penicillin were used to fight infections in 1928. The kidney analysis machine was developed in 1943. The heart lung machine was developed in 1953. The structure of DNA was discovered and research in gene therapy began in 1953.

  • 20th century vaccines

    Diptheria – 1921
    Tuberculosis – 1925
    Pertussis – 1927
    Typhus – 1937
    Influenza – 1945
    Oral Polio – 1962
    Measles – 1963
    Mumps – 1967
    Rubella – 1970
    Chicken Pox – 1974
    Streptococcus Pneumonia – 1977
    Meningitis – 1978
    Hepatitis B – 1981
    Hepatitis A – 1992
    Lyme Disease – 1998
    Rotavirus - 1998

  • 20th and 21st century top ten

    Laparoscopic Surgery in 1910.Targeted Cancer Therapies in the 1970's. Smoke free laws in 1990. Advances in HIV medication in 1996. Rapid advances in stem cell research in 1999.

  • 21st century top ten

    The first totally implantable artificial heart was placed in a patient in Louisville, Ky in 2001. The human genome project was completed in 2003. Face transplants in 2005. Vaccines
    2006: HPV (Human Papillomavirus Vaccine)
    Prevent Cervical Cancer
    2015: Malaria
    2015: Ebola