Mary Karr Griffith- Healthcare History

ancient Chinese

1700 BCE

began the search for medical reasons for illness
average life span 20-30 years
carefully monitored the pulse to determine the condition of the body
recorded a pharmacopoeia of medications
based mainly on the use of herbs
used acupuncture to treat disease

renaissance

1350 BCE

described the circulatory systemic the lungs
promoted chemical remedies to treat disease
average life span 30-40 years
researched optics and refraction
first book on dentition

ancient greeks

1200 BCE

developed and organized method to observe the human body
recorded signs and symptoms of many diseases
created a high standard of ethics
average life span 25-35 years
stressed diet and cleanliness as ways to prevent disease

Middle Ages

800 BCE

based diagnosis on observations
developed criteria for distinguishing between smallpox and measles
suggested blood was the cause of many infectious diseases
began the use of animal hut for suture material
average life span was 20-35 years

ancient romans

753 BCE

created aqueducts to carry clean water to the cities
built sewers to carry waste materials away from cities
drained marshes to reduce the incidence of malaria
an imbalance in the humors resulted in illness symptoms of inflation and infectious disease

dark ages

400 BCE

average life span was 20-35 years
medications were mainly herbal mixtures
monks and priests provided custodial care for sick people
prayer was used to treat illness

ancient Egyptians

400 BCE

earliest people to maintain accurate health records
called upon the gods to heal them when disease occurred
believed the body was a system of channels for air, tears ,urine, sperm, blood, and feces
used magic to treat disease

16 and 17 century

1600

established the use of ligatures to bind arteries and stop bleeding
average life span 35-45 years
identified the Fallopian tubes
causes of disease were not known
many people died from infection and puerperal fever

18th century

1800

established scientific surgical procedures
introduced feeding tube
average life span was 40-45 years
created mercury thermometer
discovered the element oxygen

19,20,21 century

2000

average life span 40-80 years
pasteurizing milk to kill bacteria
creating a vaccine for rabies
a sheep was cloned
demonstrated that mosquitos carry yellow fever
the first successful voice box
first test tube on a baby