Health Care Timeline

believed that illness was caused by the supernatural spirits and demons

4000 BCE

This shows how little knowledge they had of disease and sickness at this time period.

stressed diet and cleanliness as ways to prevent disease

200 BCE

This shows that they were beginning to find the real reason for the spread of the disease.

medications were mainly herbal mixtures

400

forms of medication were first being introduced

average age life span was 20 to 30 years

600

the low life expectancy shows how primitive their understanding was

suggested blood was the cause of many infectious diseases

800

theories of the cause of diseases

distinguished between smallpox and measles

910

starting to differentiate between diseases

rebirth of science of medicine

1350

many advances in medical science

Michael Servetus- describes the circulatory system in the lungs

1511

starting to understand bodily organs

successful blood transfusion on animals

1667

one step closer to blood transfusions for humans

John Hunter- established scientific surgical procedures

1728

beginning of surgical procedures

Florence Nightingale- began the professional education of nurses

1820

formal education of the patient caretaker

Louis Pasteur- discovered that microorganisms cause disease

1822

finally know the cause of disease

Walter Reed demonstrated that mosquitoes carry yellow fever

1900

discovery of vector-borne disease

Sir Alexander Fleming- discovered penicillin

1928

discovery of infection-fighting antibiotic

first totally implanted artificial heart

2001

major artificial organ successfully implanted

first face transplant

2005

first successful face transplant