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800 BCE
Leech Therapy
Use of leeches in medicine dates back to 800 B.C. This was used for bloodletting to cure fevers, headaches and serious illness.
Today, leeches are used to stimulate blood circulation after skin grafts and reconstructive surgery. -
Period: 500 to Dec 31, 1300
The Middle ages
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670
St. Fiacre, Patron of Hemorrhoids
Known as the patron of hemorrhoids. This Irish monk suffered from the disease and was miraculously cured after sitting on a hard rock. Medieval doctors would ¨prescribe¨ sitting on St. Fiacreś Rock to cure their hemorrhoids. -
750
Trepanning
This procedure involved drilling a hole in a human skull to treat illnesses like epilepsy, migraines and other mental disorders.
Today, trepanning can be used to relieve the brain of severe trauma. -
800
Maggot Therapy
People would put maggots in a cloth and apply it to a wound to prevent gangrene – maggots only eat dead flesh, ignoring healthy, live tissue, and so it was a way to prevent the spread of infection in a wound. Today, maggot therapy is still used to clear out dead tissue and prevent infection for a variety of things, particularly ulcers. -
937
First hospital in Europe
The Saxons established the first hospital in Europe. This was a place where patients could be isolated from the public to reduce other people getting sick. This is important because without hospitals, we would not have a safe and sanitized location for patients. -
Period: Jan 1, 1301 to
The Renaissance
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1452
Leonardo Da Vinci is born
In his lifetime, da Vinci would secretly dissect corpses and illustrate anatomy. His work would be the foundation of modern anatomy. He is important because he gave modern coroners a foundation for anatomy. -
1543
De humani corporis fabrica libri septem Anatomy Book Published
This was a set of 7 books of anatomy, the first of its kind, with illustrations of the human anatomy. This is important because it helped more people understand anatomy. -
1570
Ambroise Paré
He developed ligatures to stop bleeding during and after surgery. He also developed an ointment to use instead of cauterizing wounds. This is important because it reduced the risk of infection in a wound, which could be life threatening. -
Urine used as an Antiseptic
Urine was commonly used as an antiseptic to wash battle wounds and even used on plague. Urine is sterile when it leaves the body, which was cleaner than most water sources at the time. -
Autopsy
Autopsy's were introduced in Europe by the Greeks, but with the rise of Churches, the autopsy was attacked as a horrible offense against the dead. But this is important because without autopsy's, law officials would never know the cause of deaths and how to prevent them. -
Giovanni Battista Morgagni (1682-1771)
Distinguished autopsy as a science rather than an art, as with Da Vinci. -
Period: to
The Industrial Revolution
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Sir Humphry Davy announces the anesthetic properties of nitrous oxide
Sir Humphry Davy announced the anesthetic properties of nitrous oxide (aka. laughing gas) in 1800. This is important because dentists are able to use it to numb up patients without fully putting them to sleep. -
René Laënnec invents the stethoscope.
In 1816, a French physician named René Laënnec invented the stethoscope. This is an important instrument because today, the stethoscope may be one of the most common instruments used by doctors. It is used to detect internal sounds in humans or animals, such as the heartbeat. -
First Vaccine for Cholera
Cholera, an acute infectious disease caused by bacteria in fecal-contaminated food and water or undercooked seafood, creates diarrhea, vomiting and severe dehydration that can lead to death. -
Felix Hoffman Develops Aspirin
In 1889, a German chemist created aspirin, the most widely beneficial drugs. This is important because it can be used for mild to moderate pain and for things such as headaches, toothaches etc. -
Emil von Behring discovers antitoxins and uses them to develop tetanus and diphtheria vaccines.
In 1890, Emil Von Behring discovered antitoxins and used them to develop vaccines. This is important because without vaccines, people can get the most deadly diseases in the world and have no way of preventing them. -
German physicist Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen discovers X rays
A German physicist named Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen produced and detected electromagnetic radiation in a wavelength range known as X-rays. This is important because without x-rays, it would be difficult to see and understand internal injuries. -
Period: to
The Modern World
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Austrian-American Karl Landsteiner describes blood compatibility and rejection
Landsteiner was able to describe blood compatibility, meaning he could describe what happens when a person receives a blood transfusion from another human of either compatible or incompatible blood type), developing the ABO system of blood typing. This system classifies the bloods of human beings into A, B, AB, and O groups. This is important because blood is very important and this is such an extreme medical discovery. -
Blood typing developed
Austrian-American Karl Landsteiner described blood compatibility and rejection during blood transfusions. -
Electrocardiograph developed
Dr. Paul Dudley White discovers a new tool for specializing in the heart and its functions. -
Vitamin D discovered
Edward Mallanby discovers Vitamin D and shows that its absence causes rickets -
Insulin first used to treat diabetes
The discovery of insulin occurred in 1921 following the ideas of a Canadian orthopedic surgeon named Frederick G. Banting, the chemistry skills of his assistant Charles Best, and John MacLeod of the University of Toronto in Canada. -
Sir Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin.
In 1928, a Scottish bacteriologist named Sir Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin. This is very important because penicillin plays a major role in treating bacterial diseases. It also saved many lives during WWll -
Selman A. Waksman discovers the antibiotic streptomycin
In 1953, Microbiologist Selman A. Waksman discovered streptomycin. This discovery is important because it was later used in the treatment of tuberculosis and other diseases. -
First oral polio vaccine
This vaccine was as an alternative to the injected vaccine. This is important because it is a lot more safe and less painful. -
Period: to
The 21st Century
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miniature liver generated from stem cells
Doctors at Newcastle University in the United Kingdom generate a mini-liver the size of a small coin from human cord blood stem cells. -
Embryonic Stem Cells created from Skin Cells
Scientists discover how to use human skin cells to create embryonic stem cells. -
FDA Approves artificial kidney
The Federal Drug Administration approves the first human clinical trials in the U.S. for a wearable artificial kidney designed by Blood Purification Technologies Inc. in Beverly Hills, CA. -
Mammoth DNA ¨revived¨
DNA from an extinct woolly mammoth is spliced into that of an elephant. Scientists then successfully use the ¨revived¨ DNA sequence to sequence the mammoth´s complete genome. -
Regenerating Body Parts
Ohio State researchers developed a new technology called tissue nanotransfection (TNT Technology) that can reprogram skin cells to repair organs and blood vessels.
