GCSE SCHOOLS HISTORY
Medicine Through Time
INTERACTIVE
1800-2000
Why was so much progress made in
medicine between 1800 and 2000?
Spontaneous Generation Versus
The Germ Theory
Before Pasteur, the most accepted
theory of the cause of disease was
‘spontaneous generation’. This was
the idea that germs (microbes) were
Scientists
and doctors
made by disease.
made discoveries regarding
the cause of illness, they discovered ways to
killer
Another theory prevent
was that disease
wasdiseases and made some
caused by poisonous gases called
We now
know that microbes
improvement in public health. By 1800,
people
miasmas given off from rotting
are already present in the air,
rubbish,
sewage.
knewfood
oforthe
existence of germs, but they
and it isthought
the germs which cause
rottingway
and decay and the
that disease caused germs, not the the
other
bad smells, not the other way
Therefore, preventing
the
bad
smells
round. This idea was called the Theory
of had believed.
round as people
would prevent the generation of
This was apoint
real breakthrough
Spontaneous
Generation. The real turning
microbes
and therefore, prevent
in understanding the cause of
was disease.
Pasteur who discovered the Germdisease.
Theory
of doctor,
A German
Robert Koch took Pasteur’s
disease.
work further.
GCSE Schools History Medicine 1800-2000
13
17
Learning Outcomes
Bywas
the end
of this
section you
will1800?
learn
What
the state
of surgery
before
about1800,
someanatomical
of the major
problems
doctorsenormously. William Harvey demonstrated
Before
knowledge
increased
and patients
had and
when
the function
of the heart
theundertaking
circulation of the blood. However, surgery remained an
thewas
learning
extremely
and
risky business
1800. The
hygiene
very poor. Surgeons
surgery painful
and the
changes
which inhelped
to level ofRead
outcomes
first.
operated
in dirty
theatres
andunderstand
used instruments
washed
between
overcome
them.
You will
the that were rarely
operations.
They
wash
hands before
importance
ofdid
thenot
work
oftheir
individuals
such or between operations, or wear clean
clothes.
There were
no Lister.
anaesthetics
operations were done. Surgery was usually
as Simpson
and
Why so
didfew
some
limited to amputating limbs or removing large tumours. No internal surgery was possible.
doctors oppose the introduction of
Patients, who survived the shock and pain of the operation, often died of infection. If a
anaesthetics
andthere
antiseptics?
patient lost
a lot of blood
was no way of replacing it, as blood transfusions were not
perfected until the early 20th century. Two important surgeons of the 18th century were
William Cheselden and John Hunter but the best surgeons were judged by their speed. In
the late 1700s, a record was set for removing a leg in 35 seconds, although the surgeon
managed to cut off the patients left testicle and two of his assistant’s fingers too!
In 1800, the Royal College of Surgeons was founded and the poor reputations of surgeons
improved. In large hospitals the teaching of anatomy was increasing.
GCSE Schools History Medicine 1800-2000
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Problem: Paré's ligatures
often introduced infection
into a wound.
Solution: Lister introduced
sterilized catgut to tie off
blood vessels.
Problem: A blood donor had to be present
as blood clotting still caused storage
problems. Solution: In 1915 Lewisohn
found that sodium citrate stopped blood
clotting in a syringe. Blood cells were
separated from the liquid part and were
in bottles.
major problem stored
in surgery.
What solutions were developed to
deal with blood loss?
Blood loss was still a
Bleeding Solving
makes itthe
difficult
for the surgeon to see
problem of
what heblood
is doing,
if the
patient lost too
muchLoss of blood
Problem:
lossand
during
surgery.
pressure
blood, they often died. Wounds or amputations
Solution:
Dr Harvey
Cushing,
were sealed by placing a hot iron on the
wound
or
Problem: Blood transfusions human to
an American neurosurgeon,
pouring
oil over it to seal the blood vessels.
human hadhot
failed.
monitoredPare
blood pressure
Solution: [1536]
In 1901 Karl
and developed
hadLandsteiner
used ligatures to tie the blood
vessels. a technique
discovered blood
sealnot
blood vessels with
This groups.
was aSuccessful
far less painful method buttodid
transfusions were now possible.
electric currents.
always stop the bleeding if they were not tied
Problem: Large
amounts of blood
properly. Important
developments
to solve the
needed during war.
problem ofSolution:
blood did
not come
after 1900.
The National
Blooduntil
Transfusion
Service was set up during the First World
War so people could donate blood.
GCSE Schools History Medicine 1800-2000
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