History of Medicine

primitive times

4000 BCE

-illnesses and diseases were caused by evil sprites and demons.
-herbs and plants were used as medicine.
-the average lifespan was 20 years.

Ancient Egyptians

3000 BCE

-physicians were priests.
-leeches were used as a medical treatment
-average lifetime was 20-30 years

Ancient Chinese

1700 BCE

-believed that you needed to treat the whole body to cure yourself.
-began to search for medical reasons for illness.
-average lifespan was 20-30 years.

Ancient Greeks

1195 BCE

-figured out the illness is a result of natural causes.
-used therapy such as massage and herbal treatment.
-average lifetime was 25-30 years.

Ancient Romans

735 BCE

-first to organize medical care
-lifespan was 25-35 years

dark ages

400

-prayer we used to treat illness.
-average lifetime was 20-30 years.

middle ages

799

-Arabs began requiring physiologists to pass medical exams.

-life span was 20-35 years

Renaissance

1350

Rebirth of Science of Medicine
Body Dissections led to increased understanding of anatomy and physiology
1440: Invention of printing press allowed medical knowledge to be shared
1543: First anatomy book was published by Andreas Vesalius (1514-1564)
Average life span was 30-40 years
Disease cause STILL a mystery

16th and 17th Centuries

1500

Knowledge regarding the human body GREATLY increased
1500’s: Ambroise Pare, a French surgeon, known as the Father of Modern Surgery established use of ligatures to stop bleeding
1600’s: Apothecaries (early pharmacists) made, prescribed, and sold medications
1670: Invention of the microscope
HUGE advancement
Average life span 35-45 years
Cause of disease still not known – many people died from infections

18th Century

1714

1714: Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686-1736) created the first mercury thermometer
1760: Benjamin Franklin invented bifocals
1778: John Hunter established scientific surgical procedures and introduced tube feeding
1798: Smallpox vaccine discovered
Average life span 40-50 years

19th Century

1895

Rapid advancements due to discoveries of microorganisms, anesthesia, and vaccinations
1895: X-Ray Machine Developed
1893: First Open Heart Surgery
Infection control developed once microorganisms were associated with disease
1816: Invention of the stethoscope
1860: Formal training for nurses began
Women became active participants in health care
Average life span 40-60 years

20th Century

1901

1901: ABO blood groups discovered
Found out how white blood cells protect against disease
New medications were developed
1922: Insulin discovered and used to treat diabetes
1928: Antibiotics developed to fight infections (penicillin)
New machines developed
1943: Kidney Dialysis Machine
1953: Heart Lung Machine
Surgical and diagnostic techniques developed to cure once fatal conditions
1953: Structure of DNA discovered and research in gene therapy begins

21st Century

1999

1910: Laparoscopic Surgery
Minimal Invasive Surgery
1970’s: Targeted Cancer Therapies
Interfere with the spread of cancer by blocking cells involved in tumor growth
Identify and kill the cancer cells
1990: Smoke Free Laws
Decrease in 2nd Hand Smoke
1996: Advances in HIV Medication
Turned a “death sentence disease” into a manageable chronic disease – Normal Life Span
1999: Rapid advances in Stem Cell Research
Re-Create lost/damaged tissue