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Jan 1, 1578
Chinese Pharmacology
Li Shih-Chen writes "Great Pharmacopoeia," a summary of Chinese pharmacology in his lifetime. It described over 1,800 16th Century medicines and took over 27 years to completel. -
Smallpox Epidemic
During the Boston smallpox epidemic of 1721, citizen Cotton Mather urges a mass inoculation based on African techniques passed on to him by one of his slaves. -
Autopsy
Giovanni Morgagni publishes the first major work detailing the origins of the first practical autopsy, "The Seats and Causes of Disease Investigated by Anatomy." -
Fumigator
During the 19th century it was discovered that poorly sanitized urban areas were at more risk of disease. As a result, the early fumigator was invented. Sweet smelling herbs and plants were lit within the brass vessel in order to purify the air around it. -
Anaesthesia
Seishu Hanaoka succesfully treats a breast cancer patient during surgery with the use of general anaesthetic. -
Vivisection
Vivisections are the experimental dissections of live animals for scientific purposes. The British journalist Frances Power Cobb founded the British Victoria Street Society in 1875 with the intention of outlawing the vivisection of live animals. His efforts led to the British government's Cruelty to Animals Act of 1876, which regulated the use of live animals for medical purposes. -
Birth Control Clinic
The first American birth control clinic is founded by Margaret Sanger in Brooklyn, New York. -
The Iron Lung
The iron lung was one of the first life support machines. It was developed in America in 1928 and was originally intended to treat victimsof gas inhalation. They were later used to keep polio patients alive. The iron lung used negative pressure to expand the lungs and assist the patient with breathing. -
Cardiac Pacemaker Tester
The cardiac pacemaker tester was developed in the 1960s to test function and anticipate failure of pacemakers in patients with coronary heart disease. They test the effectiveness of the pacemaker, which is used to regulate the heartbeat. -
AIDS
AIDS (Aquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) is first described in 1981.
