The History of Medicine

By Madollyy
  • 1600 BCE

    Anatomy Demonstrations

    Anatomy Demonstrations
    Some of the earliest demos were in Egypt during 1600 BCE. In Rome, anatomy demonstrations were performed on animals with dissections.
  • 460 BCE

    Hippocrates

    Hippocrates
    Hippocrates wrote on examination and treatment of patients, and had a strict code to maintain patient privacy and never deliberately harm patients.
  • 400 BCE

    Hippocratic Oath

    Hippocratic Oath
    Hippocratic Oath is the code recited by doctors after graduating as tradition. This is our modern code of ethics, and the current version was written in 1964.
  • 130

    Galen

    Galen
    Galen was a physician to Roman Gladiators. He did anatomy demonstrations with dissection, and documented the importance of the spinal cord for movement. He also performed tracheotomy to cure breathing difficulties.
  • 200

    Tracheotomy

    Tracheotomy
    A tracheotomy is a surgical opening on the trachea. This is to help when someone has difficulty breathing.
  • 541

    Bubonic Plague/Justinian Plague

    Bubonic Plague/Justinian Plague
    The Bubonic Plague was a plague that affected Europe for years in 1346, a variation of the Justinian plague in 541 to 544. It killed 10,000 people at it's peak and was transmitted by fleas who bit rats.
  • 643

    Chen Chuän

    Chen Chuän
    Chen Chuän was a Chinese physician and he described the symptoms of diabetes.
  • 854

    Rhazes

    Rhazes
    Rhazes, a Persian physician, built upon the ideas of Hippocrates. He also documented the difference between smallpox and measles.
  • 900

    Barber Surgeons

    Barber Surgeons
    Barber surgeons practiced bloodletting, cupping, pulling teeth, and enemas. They served with the military by treating battle wounds and amputating limbs. They burned amputees stumps to cauterize the wounds.
  • 1025

    The Canon of Medicine

    The Canon of Medicine
    The Canon of Medicine was compiled by Persian Philosopher Avicenna. It includes 5 volumes of Greek and Arabic medicine.
  • 1400

    Medicines

    Medicines
    Since science and reason was becoming more accepted, we started to make medicines which began their use in the 1400s.
  • 1440

    Printing Press

    Printing Press
    Printing presses published and copied books, spreading their ideas quickly.
  • Dec 31, 1514

    Andreas Vesalius

    Andreas Vesalius
    Andreas Vesalius wrote the first accurate work on anatomy, De Humani Corporis Fabrica
  • 1543

    De Humani Corporis Fabrica

    De Humani Corporis Fabrica
    In 1543, Andreas Vesalius made this book, as new ideas allowed for the study of human anatomy at this time.

  • Laudanum

    Laudanum
    Laudanum was one Medicine used, mostly as as a cough suppressant. But it is now considered a narcotic, considering that it contains mostly opium.

  • Stethoscope

    Stethoscope
    Used to hear inner bodily functions better without pressing your ear up against the body. It is mainly used on the hearts and lungs.

  • Microscope

    Microscope
    A viewing instrument used to see very small objects, like cells.

  • Joseph Lister

    Joseph Lister
    Joseph Lister came up with the idea of cleaning anything to do with medicine. Listerine is named after him.

  • Robert Koch

    Robert Koch
    Built on Pasteurs ideas and discovered that pathogens are the source of some diseases.

  • Ether

    Ether
    Ether is an anesthetic, inducing sensitivity to pain.

  • X-Rays

    X-Rays
    X-Rays are used to look inside someone's body. It's not just bones! Ultrasound is a type of x-ray, using sound.

  • Radium

    Radium
    Radium is used to produce radon gas which can treat cancer.

  • Insulin

    Insulin
    Before insulin, people with diabetes would die two weeks after the onset of it. Insulin is used for diabetics to help their blood sugar from not getting too high or too low.

  • Antibiotics

    Antibiotics
    Antibiotics are used to treat some sicknesses with bacteria. Antibiotics do not work with viral infections.

  • Penicillin

    Penicillin
    Penicillin was one of the first antibiotics, discovered in mold.

  • HLa Cells

    HLa Cells
    HLa Cells are used to match you with a donor for bone or blood transplants.

  • Transplants

    Transplants
    The first successful transplant happened in 1959. Transplants are done when someone's organ doesn't work. If you'd like, you can be an organ donor so when you die, your organs can go to someone who need them.

  • Stem Cells

    Stem Cells
    Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that turn into differentiated cells when an organ or something is damaged.

  • Robots

    Robots
    Robot assisted surgery is used when the thing the doctor working on is too small for them to work on.

  • Genomes

    Genomes
    Genomes are the genetic material of an organism, otherwise known as DNA.