History of Medicine - Libby Sharp

By libby_sharp
  • 4000 BCE

    Primitive Times

    Primitive Times
    • Diseases and illnesses were believed to be caused by evil spirits or demons, or as a punishment from the gods.
    • Tribal doctors would treat illness with ceremonies, as well as herbs and plants
    • Trepanation (surgically removing a piece of bone from the skull) was believed to be used to heal head injuries and managing symptoms of head trauma
  • 3000 BCE

    Ancient Egyptians

    Ancient Egyptians
    • The physicians of this time period were priests
    • Bloodletting or leeches were commonly used as a medical treatment
    • The average life span for a person was 20-30 years
  • 1700 BCE

    Ancient Chinese

    Ancient Chinese
    • Believed in needing to treat the body from illness by curing the spirit and nourishing the body
    • Used therapies such as acupuncture
    • They began to search for medical reasons for illness
    • The average life span was about 20-30 years
  • 1200 BCE

    Ancient Greeks

    Ancient Greeks
    • Hippocrates (the father of medicine) and other physicians of that time were the first to observe the effects of disease and the human body
    • Believed that illness was a result of natural causes
    • Believed that diet, hygeine, and exercise were ways to prevent disease
    • The lifespan ranged from about 25-35 years at this point
  • 753 BCE

    Ancient Romans

    Ancient Romans
    -First to organize medical care by providing care for injured soldiers
    - Hospitals were religious and charitable institutions in monasteries and convents
    - Aqueducts and sewers were built, creating the first health and sanitation systems
    - Life span ranged from 25-35 years
    - Galen, a greek who became the roman empire's greatest physician, established the belief that the body was regulated by four body humors; blood, phlegm, black bile, and yellow bile
  • 400

    Dark Ages

    Dark Ages
    • The study of medicine was prohibited, there was once again emphasis on saving the soul instead
    • Prayer and divine intervention were used to treat illness and disease
    • Monks and priests provided custodial care for sick individuals
    • Medications were typically herbal mixtures
    • Average life span dropped back down to 20-30 years -The cause of disease was still blamed on circumstance
  • 800

    Middle Ages

    Middle Ages
    • 1100: Arabs began requiring physicians to pass examinations and receive a license
    • 1346-1353: Bubonic Plague killed 75% of the population in Europe and Asia Major diseases included; smallpox, diphtheria, tuberculosis, typhoid, the plaque, and malaria
    • 1220-1255: Medical universities were established
    • The average life span was 20-35 years
  • 1350

    Renaissance

    Renaissance
    • This time period was the rebirth of the Science of Medicine
    • Body dissections led to more understanding of anatomy and physiology
    • 1440: The invention of the printing press allowed any medical knowledge to be shared
    • 1543: First anatomy book was published by Andreas Vesalius (1514-1564)
    • Average lifespan was around 30-40 years
  • 1500

    16th and 17th Centuries

    16th and 17th Centuries
    • Knowledge regarding the human body increased by a lot 1500s: Ambroise Pare, a French surgeon, known as the Father of Modern Surgery established 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. HUGE advancement
    • Average life span 35-45 years
    • Cause of disease still not known

  • 18th Century

    18th Century
    • 1714: Gabriel Fahrenheit created the first mercury thermometer
    • 1760: Benjamin Franklin invented bifocals (glasses with different prescription in each lense)
    • 1778: John Hunter established scientific surgical procedures and introduced tube feeding
    • 1798: Smallpox vaccine was discovered
    • Average life span 40-50 years

  • 19th Century

    19th Century
    • Microorganisms, anesthesia, and vaccinations were discovered, leading to major advancements
    • 1895: X-Ray machine was developed
    • 1893: The first open-heart surgery
    • 1816: Invention of the stethoscope
    • 1860: Formal training for nurses began
    • Average lifespan about 40-60 years

  • 20th Century

    20th Century
    • 1901: ABO blood types discovered
    • New medications developed; Insulin in 1922, penicillin in 1928
    • New machines developed; Kidney dialysis in 1943, heart-lung machine in 1953
    • 1953: Structure of DNA discovered and research in gene therapy begins
    • 1956: First Bone Marrow Transplant
    • 1978: Test tube babies
    • Organ Transplants
    • 1960: Kidney
    • 1963: Liver
    • 1967: Heart
    • 1982: Artificial Heart
    • Many vaccines to diseases that were fatal before, have been created at this point

  • 21st Century

    21st Century
    • 2001: The first totally implantable artificial heart was placed in a patient in Louisville, KY
    • 2003: Human Genome Project Completed
    • Mapped out human diseases in an effort to get an handle on genetic and autoimmune diseases
    • 2005: Face Transplants Vaccines
    • 2006: HPV (Human Papillomavirus Vaccine) Prevent Cervical Cancer
    • 2015: Malaria
    • 2015: Ebola