History of Medicine - Kellan Coffey

Primitive Times

4000 BCE

• Diseases and illnesses were thought to be caused by evil spirits, or be punishment from the gods.
• Illness was treated by ceremonies led by a tribal witch doctor.
• Plants and herbs were used as medicines.
• Trepanation - surgically removing a piece of bone from the skull - was used.
• The average life span was 20 years.

Ancient Egyptians

3000 BCE

• The physicians were priests
• The first health records were recorded by the ancient Egyptians
• Bloodletting or the use of leeches were used as medical treatment.
• The average lifespan was 20 to 30 years

Ancient Chinese

1700 BCE

• Believed in the need to treat the whole body by curing the spirit and nourishing the body
• Recorded a pharmacopeia- a book containing descriptions of medicines (effects and directions for use)- mainly on the use of herbs
• Began to research medical reasons behind illness
• Average lifespan of 20-30 years

Ancient Greeks

1200 BCE

• Hippocrates (Father of medicine) and other physicians began emerging
• The first to observe the human body and the effects of disease- this led to modern medical sciences
• Believed illness is a result of natural causes
• Used therapies(Massage, art therapy, herbal treatment)
• Stressed diet, hygiene, and exercise as ways to prevent disease
• Average life span was 25-35 years

Ancient Romans

753 BCE

• First to organize medical care by providing care for injured soldiers
• Later hospitals were religious and charitable institutions in monasteries and convents
• First public health and sanitation systems by building sewers and aqueducts
• Galen established the belief that the body was regulated by four body humors; Blood, phlegm, black bile, and yellow bile
• Life span was 25-35 years

Dark ages

400

• Emphasis on saving the soul and the study of medicine was prohibited
• Prayer and divine intervention were used to treat illness and disease
• Monks and priests provide custodial care for sick people
• Medications were mainly herbal mixtures
• Disease cause was still blamed on circumstance, but with no understanding
• Average life span was 20-30 years

Middle ages

800

• Renewed interest in medical practices of Greek and Romans
• In 1100 AD, Arabs began requiring physicians to pass examinations in Europe and obtain licenses
• 1346-1353, Bubonic plague killed 75% in Europe and Asia
• Major diseases included- smallpox, diphtheria, tuberculosis, typhoid, the plaque, and malaria
• 1220-1255, Medical universities were established
• Average life span was 20-35 years

Renaissance

1350

• Science of Medicine was reborn
• Body directions led to increased understanding of anatomy and physiology
• 1440: Invention of the printing press allowed medical knowledge to be shared
• 1543: First anatomy book was published by Andreas Vesalius
• Cause of disease was still a mystery
• Average lifespan was 30-40

16th and 17th Centuries

1500

• Knowledge regarding the human body greatly increased
• 1500s: Ambroise Pare- A French surgeon known as the Father of Modern Surgery- established the use of ligatures to stop bleeding
• 1600s: Apothecaries- early pharmacists- made, prescribed, and sold medications
• 1670: Invention of the microscope-- allowed physicians to see disease-causing organisms
• Cause of disease still not known-- many people died from infections--
• Average lifespan 35-45 years

18th Century

1700

• 1714: Gabriel Fahrenheit 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 lifespan 40-50 years

19th Century

1800

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

20th Century

1900

• Rapid Growth in healthcare
• 1901: ABO blood groups discovered-- Found out how white blood cells protects against disease
• New medications are developed
• 1922: Insulin discovered and used to treat diabetes
• 1928: Antibiotics developed to fight infections
• New machines are developed
• 1943: Kidney Dialysis Machine
• 1953: Heart Lung Machine
• Surgical and diagnostic techniques developed to cure once fatal conditions
• 1953: Structure of DNA is discovered and research in gene therapy begins

21st Century

2000

• 2001: The totally implantable artificial heart was placed in a patient in Louisville, Kentucky
• 2003: Human Genome Project Completed
• Mapped out human disease in an effort to get a handle on genetic and autoimmune diseases
• 2005: Face transplants
• Vaccines - HPV, Malaria, Ebola
• Prevent Cervical Cancer