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Introduction
During the time period 1830-1919, there were many important medical events and discoveries that have shaped the future of medicine including the production of aspirin, the first woman medical doctor, the first open-heart surgery, and the discovery of X-Rays. -
History of willow bark's pain relieving property
Dating back to Ancient Greece and Egypt, willow bark has been used to alleviate pain. Scientific developments in the 1700 and 1800s allowed compounds to be extracted and characterized from willow bark, one of which is now known as "salicin", extracted by Henri Leroux in 1826. -
Salicylic Acid
Raffaele Piria produced salicylic acid from salicin via hydrolysis (adding water, resulting in the chemical breakdown of a compound). -
First Woman Receives Medical Degree
Graduating from Geneva Medical College, Elizabeth Blackwell became the first woman in the United States to earn a medical degree in 1849. -
Acetylsalicylic Acid
Charles Frederic Gernhardt generated acetylsalicylic acid from salicylic acid through acetylation with acetic anhydride for the first time, but did not use or market it. -
First Successful Open-Heart Surgery
The first successful open-heart surgery was performed by Daniel Hale Williams in 1893. A young man named James Cornish had a stab wound to the chest and began to go into shock, leading Dr. Williams to believe there was a deeper wound near the heart. He cut the rib cartilage to create an opening to the heart, where he sutured a damaged left internal mammary artery and the right coronary artery. The young man walked out of the hospital 51 days later and lived for another 20 years. -
The Accidental Discovery of X-Rays
While testing if cathode rays could pass through glass, Wilhelm Roentgen discovered X-Rays. A mysterious light projected onto a fluorescent screen from the cathode, which would pass through many objects but leave shadows of solid ones. He called them “X” (unknown) rays. He discovered that X-rays could pass through the human body, resulting in the visibility of bones. The news spread worldwide, and X-rays began to be used to identify bullets, broken bones, kidney stones, and swallowed objects. -
Aspirin
Felix Hoffman also modified salicylic acid to create acetylsalicylic acid, naming it aspirin. Through experimental trials, aspirin was found to be easier on the stomach than salicylic acid, leading to the widespread use of aspirin as a pain reliever. -
First Nobel Prize in Physics
Wilhelm Roentgen won the first Nobel Prize in physics for his discovery of X-Rays. -
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Conclusion
The evolution and development of technology has transformed medicine drastically over the past two decades, yet these discoveries hold relevance today. Aspirin is found in medicine cabinets all over the country, X-Rays remain an essential diagnostic tool, and surgical practices have thankfully evolved since the first open-heart surgery (when only crude anesthesia and sanitation practices were used). Thanks to Blackwell's trail blazing, women enrolled in medical school outnumbered men in 2019.