History of Medicine- Grace Byrns

  • Primitive Times
    4000 BCE

    Primitive Times

    Diseases were believed to be caused by demons and evil spirits treated. They were treated with ceremonies or herbal remedies like morphine. Life span was 20 years.
  • Ancient Egypt
    3000 BCE

    Ancient Egypt

    Physicians were priests, first medical records were made. Medical treatments were bloodletting or leeching. Life span 20-30 years.
  • Ancient China
    1700 BCE

    Ancient China

    They began to believe in treating the soul AND the body and began to record herbal remedies and other medicinal treatments. They also started looking for medical reasons for illnesses. Life span 20-30 years.
  • Ancient Greeks
    1200 BCE

    Ancient Greeks

    Hippocrates- Father of Medicine, the first to observe the human body and modern medical sciences. Believing that illness has natural causes (not demons). Creating different therapies. Learned that hygiene/diet/exercise are important for good health. Life span was 25-35 years.
  • Ancient Rome
    753 BCE

    Ancient Rome

    Organized medical care (not leaving soldiers for dead), hospitals were religious, PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEMS- first sewer systems. They stated there were four humors in the body, blood- lust, yellow bile- Anger, phlegm- slow response, and black bile- depression.
  • Dark Ages
    400

    Dark Ages

    Back to thinking diseases were demons - save the soul leave the body. praying and ceremonies were treated. monks and priests took care of people. Medication was herbal remedies. Lifespan 20-30 years.
  • Middle ages
    800

    Middle ages

    Medical research based on illnesses unrelated to demons started to continue again. The black plague killed 75% of Europe's population. Diseases of the time: smallpox, malaria, TB, etc. Lifespan 20-35 years.
  • Renaissance
    1350

    Renaissance

    Rebirth of medicine, body dissection- we know more about how the body works, the printing press lets other people be able to read and share new medical advancements, and anatomy books published for everyone. average life span was 30-40 years.
  • 16th and 17th Centuries
    1500

    16th and 17th Centuries

    Human body knowledge greatly increased, Ambroise Pare- father of modern surgery, Apothecaries- pharmacists, microscope- a huge advantage. Life span 35-45.
  • 18th Centurie

    18th Centurie

    Gabriel Fahrenheit- first mercury thermometer, Benjamin Franklin- bifocals, John Hunter- surgical procedures/feeding tube, smallpox vaccine discovered. Life span 40-50 years.
  • 19th Century

    19th Century

    The X-ray machine was developed, the first open heart surgery, the stethoscope invention, and women became a part of health care. Life span 40-60.
  • 20th Century

    20th Century

    AOB blood groups discovered, insulin/ diabetes, penicillin, new machines- kidney dialysis machine/ heart-lung machine, DNA structure discovered. First bonemarrow transplant/stem cell research, test tube babies, transplants- kidney/liver/heart/artificial heart.
  • 20th Century Vaccines

    20th Century Vaccines

    Vaccines- diphtheria – 1921, tuberculosis – 1925, pertussis – 1927, typhus – 1937, influenza – 1945, oral polio – 1962, measles – 1963, mumps – 1967, rubella – 1970, chicken pox – 1974, streptococcus pneumonia – 1977, meningitis – 1978, hepatitis B – 1981, hepatitis A – 1992, Lyme disease – 1998, rotavirus - 1998.