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Period: 4000 BCE to 3000 BCE
Early beginnings
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3900 BCE
Diseases caused by
They believed that illness and disease were caused by supernatural spirts, evil sprits, and Demond’s. -
3600 BCE
Treatments for the sick
They used herbs and plants as medicines. -
3100 BCE
Medicines used today
Some medicines are still used today such as the foxglove plant, and that is given in pill form.Quinine which comes from the bark of the chinchona tree, and lastly morphine which is made from the opium poppy, and it treats severe pain. -
Period: 2999 BCE to 399
Ancient times
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2900 BCE
Ancient Egyptians
The ancient Egyptians were the first people to keep accurate health records. In the Egyptian culture there priests were there physicians. They healed by using medicines. -
1900 BCE
Ancient Chinese
The ancient Chinese starting at a very early time were the first to use primitive acupuncture therapies. Their methods eventually developed into far more advanced practice of Chinese acupuncture, and they are still in common use today! -
900 BCE
Ancient Greeks
Ancient Greeks were the first to study the causes of disease and to determine that illnesses may have natural causes rather then spiritual causes. Dissection wasn’t allowed for the ancient Greeks. Hippocrates had wrote the standard of ethics which was called the oath of Hippocrates. This standard is some of the basics for todays medical ethics. -
100
Ancient Romans
The Romans learned from the Greeks and they developed a sanitation system. They brought clean water into their cities through the waterways and this was used for there sanitation system. The Romans were the first to organize medical care. Since the Romans organized medical care this turned into the start of hospitals. -
Period: 400 to 800
Dark age
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500
Stopped the study of medicine
They stopped the study of medicine because when the Roman empire was conquered by the Huns for a period of 1000 years medicine was practice only in convents and monasteries. The church believed that life after death was in gods hands, so the monks and the priest had no interest in how the body functions. -
700
How do they treat disease?
Their primary treatment was prayer. Medication consisted of herbal mixtures and care was custodial. -
Period: 800 to 1400
Middle age
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1100
Epidemics
Very bad epidemics caused many deaths during this period of time. Bubonic plague also known as the black death killed 60 million people. There were also other uncontrolled diseases such as smallpox. -
Period: 1350 to
Renaissance
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1450
Rebirth
The renaissance period of time saw the rebirth of learning. New scientific progress had began, and there were many developments during this period. Building of Universities as well as medical schools for research. The acceptance of dissection of the body for study. Lastly the development of the printing press and the publishing of books that allowed greater access to knowledge from research. All of these changes influenced the future of medical science. -
Period: 1501 to
16th and 17th Centuries
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1515
Leonardo da Vinci
Leonardo da Vinci studied as well as recorded the anatomy of the human body. -
1550
Gabriele Fallopius
Gabriele Fallopius Discovered the fallopian tubes of the female anatomy -
1563
Bartolommeo Eustachio
Bartolommeo Eustachip Discovered the tube leading from the ear to the throat also known as the Eustachian tube -
William Harvey
William Harvey used his knowledge to understand physiology. He was able to describe the circulation of blood and also the pumping of the heart. -
Antonie von Leeuwenhoek
Antonie von Leeuwenhoek Invented the microscope establishing that there is life smaller than an eye can see. Antonie von Leeuwenhoek Had scraped his teeth and found that bacteria causes tooth decay. -
Apothecaries
Apothecaries, early pharmacies started during this time. Apothecaries engaged in a flourishing trade in drugs and spices from the east. -
Period: to
18th Century
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Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin’s discoveries included bifocals, and he also found that colds could be passed from person to person. -
Medical students learning
Students not only attended some lectures in the classroom and laboratory but they also observed patients at the bedside. All of this led to better understanding of the causes of illness and death. -
Joseph Priestley
Joseph Priestley discovered the element oxygen. Joseph Priestley also observed that plants refresh air that has lost its oxygen. -
Edward Jenner
Edward Jenner discovered a method of vaccination for smallpox, because of his discovery saved millions of lives. His discovery also led to immunization and to preventive medicine in public health. -
Rene Laennec
Rene Laennec Invented the stethoscope. The first stethoscope was made of wood, and it increased the ability to hear the heart and lungs. -
Period: to
19th and 20th Centuries
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Ignaz Semmelweis
Ignaz Semmelweis identified the cause of childbed fever also known as puerperal fever. Many women died from this fever after giving birth. -
Florence Nightingale
Florence Nightingale Attracted well educated dedicated women to the Nightingale school of nursing. The graduates from this school raised the standards of nursing and then nursing became a respectable profession -
Louis Pasteur
Louis Pasteur discovered that tiny microorganisms were everywhere. Through his experiments and studies he proved that microorganisms cause disease. He also discovered that heating milk prevented the growth of bacteria. -
Dmitri Ivanovski
Dmitri Ivanovski discovered that some diseases are caused by microorganisms that cannot be seen with a microscope. These are called viruses. -
Joseph Lister
Joseph Lister learned about Pasteurs discovery that microorganisms cause infection. He became the first doctor to use an antiseptic during surgery. -
Ernst von Bergmann
Ernst von Bergmann developed asepsis. He developed a method to keep an area germ free before and during surgery. This was the beginning of asepsis. -
Robert Koch
Robert Koch discovered a lot of disease causing organisms. He developed the culture plate method to identify pathogens and also isolated the bacterium that causes tuberculosis. Lastly he also introduced the importance of cleanliness and sanitation to prevent the spread of disease. -
Paul Ehrlich
Paul Ehrlich discovered the effect of medicine on disease causing microorganisms. The treatment was effective against some microorganisms, however it was not effective in killing other bacteria. Paul Ehrlich‘s discoveries brought about the use of chemicals to fight disease. On his 606th experiment he had found a treatment. -
Wilhelm Roentgen
Wilhelm Roentgen discovered x-rays in 1895. His discovery allowed doctors to see inside the body and help them discover what was going on with the patient. -
Anesthesia
Before the 19th century surgery was a lot of pain and a serious problem. Surgery was preformed without anesthesia. Early physicians used herbs, hashish and alcohol to help relieve some pain for surgery. Many people died from the shock and pain before the 19th century. Nitrous oxide ( for dental care), ether, and chloroform were discovered. These drugs had the ability to put people into a deep sleep so the patients wouldn’t experience pain during surgery. -
Sir Alexander Fleming
Sir Alexander Fleming found that penicillin killed life threatening bacteria. The discovery of penicillin is considered one of the most important discoveries in the 20th century -
Sigmund Freud
Sigmund Freud discovered the conscious and unconscious parts of the mind. This led to an understanding of psychosomatic illness. -
Gerhard Domagk
Gerhard Domagk discovered sulfonamide compounds. These compounds were the first medications effective in killing bacteria. -
Jonas Salk
Jonas Salk Discovered that a dead polio virus would cause immunity to poliomyelitis. The discovery of the vaccine saved many people from death. -
Albert Sabin
Albert Sabin used a live polio virus vaccine which is more effective. This vaccine is used today to immunize babies against this dreaded disease. -
Francis Crick and James Watson
Francis Crick and James Watson discovered the molecular structure of DNA based on its known double helix. This set the stage for the rapid advances in molecular biology that continues to this day. -
Christian Barnard
Christian Barnard preformed the first successful heart transplant in 1968. -
Ben Carson
Ben Carson continues to be a pioneer in separating Siamese twins and preforming hemispherectomies surgeries on the brain to stop seizures. -
Period: to
21st century
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Human genome project
In April of 2003 scientists announced that they completed a draft sequencing the human genome, and all the genes that make up our DNA. Gene sequencing has strongly helped researchers identify single genes that cause diseases and it also has aided in creating better treatments -
Face transplants
The first partial face transplant was done in Amiens, France, in 2005. Then the first full face transplant done in the United States was performed on a patient Connie Culp in 2008. -
HPV vaccine
HPV which is a vaccine that is delivered in three injections over six months and protects against four HPV strains that can trigger cervical cancer -
Smart pills
The FDA approved smart pills in 2017 which contain tiny embedded sensors that communicate through via smartphone with users about whether they’ve already taken their medication. -
Acute stroke intervention
Clot-busting drugs and medical devices are changing the long-term impact of strokes. acute stroke therapy treatments are proving to save patients from both death and lifelong disabilities.