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People from this time believed that disease was caused by spirits and demons. Trepanation was a common method that involved boring a hull in the skull to treat insanity. Religion was used as a method to cure a patient.
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The Ancient Egyptians were the first people to keep health records. The records were inscribed in stone by priests who also acted as physicians in their society.
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The Ancient Chinese began to use holistic health methods to treat the whole patient, including their mind, body, and soul. Chinese herbal medicine, acupuncture, and massage are still used today.
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They began modern medical science. The Greeks developed an organized way to observe the body, recorded the signs and symptoms of diseases, and created a standard of ethics.
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Also known as the "Father of Medicine", Hippocrates was one of the most influential physicians in Ancient Greece.
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Interest in Roman and Greek medical practices increased during this time. The bubonic plague killed a majority of European population along with other dieseas.
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Rebirth of the science of medicine. Scientists and physicians began to dissect the human body which increased the knowledge of the body. Artists, such as da Vinci, used to art to portray the human body.
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The cause of disease was still unknown. Ambroise Pare was a French surgeon who was known as the Father of Modern Surgery.
Apothecaries made, prescribed, and sold medications. -
Zacharias Janssen invented the microscope in 1590 which allowed scientists and physicians to see a new world full of tiny life that no one knew had existed. -
The knowledge of the human body increased drastically. Germ Theory was thought of during this time. Many important inventions were invented in the 1800s also.
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Gabriel Fahrenheit invented the mercury thermometer which helped people see changes in temperature and prove that the body's temperatures fluctuate when diseased. -
Also known as a C Section, Dr. Jesse Bennett performed the first C Section to help deliver a baby. This surgery is commonly used today and has saved many lives.
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Edward Jenner developed a vaccine for smallpox. Along with saving lives, this showed how vaccinations can be used to prevent diseases and helped further the development of other vaccines. -
Anesthesia was first used in 1846 by a dentist named William Morton. Modern medicine would not be possible without anesthesia. -
Florence Nightingale was the founder of modern nursing and she established the first nursing school in the world. -
Clara Barton, a nurse during the Civil War, founded the American Red Cross which aims to help people around the country. -
Insulin was discovered by Sir Frederick G Banting which is a life-saving hormone that can be given to people with diabetes. -
Alexander Fleming first discovered penicillin in 1928 which was the world's first antibiotic that helped save many people from infection. -
Stem cell therapy was first used in 1958 by Georges Mathe to save 6 nuclear researchers who were accidentally exposed to high radiation. Stem cell therapy is still being researched and the possibilities of it can change health care majorly. -
The completion of the Human Genome Project has had a major effect on improvements and possible improvements in health care.