Medicine in Britain in the 18th & 19th Century (Edexcel GCSE History)

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  • Define the term laissez-faire.

    Laissez-faire is French for ‘allow to do’. It means not to interfere and to let people make their own choices.

  • Did the theory of miasma become less or more popular towards the end of the 19th century?

    Less.

    The theory of miasma became less popular towards the end of the 19th century because there was an increase in other, more scientific, explanations like Germ Theory.

  • Define Spontaneous Generation theory.

    Spontaneous Generation theory states that when matter decays, the process produces microorganisms that spread via miasma. The theory was developed by scientists in the early 18th century.

  • What did Louis Pasteur discover in the 19th century?

    Louis Pasteur was a French scientist, and he developed Germ Theory in 1861. Germ theory states that all air contains microbes and they cause decay.

  • True or False?

    Louis Pasteur's Germ Theory supported the Spontaneous Generation theory.

    False.

    Louis Pasteur's Germ Theory did not support the Spontaneous Generation theory. It disproved it, as Pasteur observed that microbes would not grow on sterilised matter and that something in the air must cause the matter to rot.

  • Did any scientists in the 19th century support Louis Pasteurs Germ Theory?

    Yes.

    Joseph Lister and John Tyndall supported Louis Pasteurs Germ Theory. Lister linked the discovery to the issue of infection after surgery and Tyndall linked the discovery of particles in the air to Germ Theory.

  • What did Robert Koch discover about disease in the 19th century?

    In the 19th century, Robert Koch discovered that bacteria was responsible for diseases, such as tuberculosis (TB) in 1882 and cholera in 1883.

  • Name two techniques Robert Koch used that made microbes easier to see under a microscope.

    The two techniques that Robert Koch used to help microbes become more visible under a microscope were that he:

    • Used Agar jelly to grow bacteria

    • Stained the bacteria in dye

  • Why did the British government in the 19th century not support Germ Theory?

    The British government in the 19th century did not support Germ Theory because it did not provide any practical solutions to disease. They had a laissez-faire attitude to public health.

  • True or False?

    The most important factor that influenced the understanding of disease in the 19th century was religion.

    False.

    Religion was not the most important factor influencing the understanding of disease. Other factors such as individuals like Pasteur and Koch, technological developments in the study of microbes and the use of science were more important.

  • True or False?

    Hospitals in the 18th century increased their access to the Deserving Poor.

    True.

    For the first time, hospitals in the 18th century increased access to the Deserving Poor who could afford medical care. They also introduced wards to separate patients with infectious diseases from other patients.

  • Name three ways Florence Nightingale improved hospital conditions during the Crimean War.

    Florence Nightingale improved hospital conditions during the Crimean War by insisting on:

    • Cleanliness

    • Organisation,

    • Proper treatment

    This reduced mortality rates significantly.

  • When was the Nightingale School for Nurses at St Thomas' Hospital in London established?

    The Nightingale School for Nurses at St Thomas' Hospital in London was established in 1860.

  • True or False?

    Laughing gas (nitrous oxide) was successfully used for smaller operations in the 18th century.

    True.

    Laughing gas (nitrous oxide) was successfully used for smaller operations in the 18th century. Humphry Davy discovered the pain-relieving properties of laughing gas in 1795.

  • What anesthetic was used by the American surgeon Dr Crawford Long in 1846?

    Dr Crawford Long used the anaesthetic ether in 1846. Long used ether to successfully remove a tumuor from a patient's neck.

  • Why was ether considered a problematic anaesthetic by doctors in the 19th century?

    Ether was considered a problematic anaesthetic by doctors in the 19th century because it made patients vomit, it irritated the lungs, and the chemical was flammable.

  • True or False?

    James Simpson discovered the use of chloroform as an anaesthetic while performing surgery on a patient.

    False.

    James Simpson discovered the use of chloroform as an anaesthetic while testing various chemicals for their anaesthetic properties with his friends. When Simpson tried chloroform, he passed out for some time.

  • Why did some doctors choose not to use chloroform in the 19th century?

    Some doctors chose not to use chloroform in the 19th century because it was easy to overdose and kill a patient, and it allowed for longer and more complicated surgeries, which caused more issues with infection and bleeding.

  • In the 18th century, were operating theatres cleaned before surgery?

    No.

    Operating theatres were not cleaned before surgery in the 18th century. Surgeons did not wash their hands, clean their aprons, or have their surgical equipment cleaned between operations.

  • When did Joseph Lister start to use carbolic acid in surgery?

    Joseph Lister started to use carbolic acid in surgery in 1865 when he soaked a bandage with carbolic acid and applied it to a broken leg after surgery on the leg.

  • Why did some surgeons not use carbolic acid during surgery in the 19th century?

    Some surgeons did not use carbolic acid during surgery in the 19th century because it dried out the skin, and made an unpleasant smell. Some surgeons did not understand Germ Theory and were not willing to use carbolic acid.

  • Define aseptic surgery.

    Aseptic surgery is when surgery is carried out free of bacteria and the risk of infection.

  • How was surgery made aseptic by the 20th century?

    Surgery was made aseptic by the 20th century as all medical staff washed their face, hands, and arms before surgery. All surgical equipment is sterilised and bacteria is removed from the air.

  • When did Edward Jenner create a vaccine for smallpox?

    Edward Jenner created a vaccine for smallpox in 1796.

  • True or False?

    Smallpox was a dangerous disease, killing as many as 20% of victims.

    False.

    Smallpox was an incredibly dangerous disease, as it killed as many as 30% of victims.

  • Define inoculation.

    Inoculation is when someone is infected with a disease to protect against a stronger version of the same disease.

  • Give three reasons why inoculation was problematic in the 18th century.

    Inoculation was problematic in the 18th century for three main reasons, which were:

    • It was expensive

    • Inoculators became wealthy

    • Some patients died because of the inoculation process

  • Define vaccination.

    Vaccination is the introduction of a vaccine containing appropriate disease antigens into the body, by injection or mouth, to induce artificial immunity. The term "vaccination" comes from the Latin for "vacca" for cow.

  • Why did Edward Jenner decide to test the link between smallpox and cowpox in the 18th century?

    Edward Jenner decided to test the link between smallpox and cowpox in the 18th century because he observed that milkmaids did not contract smallpox but did catch cowpox, which was not as deadly. Also, he experienced inoculation as a boy and wanted to find a better way to prevent smallpox.

  • True or False?

    In 1776, Edward Jenner infected a young girl, Jane Phipps, with cowpox and then 6 weeks later with smallpox. Phipps caught the smallpox.

    False.

    In 1796 Edward Jenner infected a young boy, James Phipps, with cowpox and then 6 weeks later with smallpox and Phipps did not catch the smallpox.

  • Why did some doctors in the 18th and 19th centuries not support vaccinations?

    Some doctors in the 18th and 19th centuries did not support vaccinations because they believed they would destroy their careers and they lost money by not performing inoculations.

  • How did the government in the 19th century try to change public opinion of vaccinations?

    The government in the 19th century tried to change public opinion of vaccinations by making inoculation illegal in 1840 and making the smallpox vaccination compulsory in 1852.

  • Did the smallpox vaccine have a positive long- term effect?

    Yes.

    The smallpox vaccine did have a positive long- term effect. Since 1872 the number of smallpox cases has dropped significantly. By 1979 the World Health Organisation declared that smallpox no longer spreads naturally or exists in humans.

  • How did Edward Jenner's smallpox vaccination inspire Louis Pasteur?

    Edward Jenner's smallpox vaccination inspired Louis Pasteur to look into the possibility of a vaccination. Pasteur then discovered that he needed to identify germs causing the specific disease which resulted in Germ Theory.

  • What discovery did Edwin Chadwick's report on the Sanitary Conditions of the Labouring Classes find in 1842?

    Edwin Chadwick's report on the Sanitary Conditions of the Labouring Classes in 1842 found a connection between life expectancy and living standards.

  • When in the 19th century was the Public Health Act introduced ?

    The Public Health Act was introduced in 1848.

  • What did the second Public Health Act of 1875 introduce?

    The second Public Health Act of 1875 made it compulsory for local authorities to provide clean water, dispose of waste properly, build public toilets, hire public health officers for epidemics, build new houses, and provide parks for exercise.

  • True or False?

    The causes of cholera are drinking water contaminated with faeces or contact with another person who has cholera.

    True.

    The causes of cholera are drinking water contaminated with faeces or contact with another person who has cholera. Symptoms usually lasted for two to five days before the victim died of dehydration.

  • List four symptoms of cholera.

    Four symptoms of cholera are:

    • Vomiting

    • Dehydration

    • Diarrhoea

    • Burst blood vessels under the skin

  • By the end of 1832, how many people died of Cholera in London?

    By the end of 1832 5,275 people died from cholera in London.

  • How did the first Public Health Act of 1848 try to stop cholera?

    The first Public Health Act of 1848 tried to stop cholera by advising the local authorities to improve the cleanliness of their towns and cities, encouraging the establishment of public health boards, and providing clean water.

  • Who was John Snow?

    John Snow was a well-respected London surgeon and London's best anaesthetist. He was the doctor responsible for giving Queen Victoria chloroform during the birth of her eighth child in 1851.

  • True or False?

    When John Snow made his observations on the 1848–49 cholera epidemic, he had no scientific evidence to convince other doctors about his theory.

    True.

    John Snow had no scientific evidence to convince other doctors about his theory. Snow claimed that miasma was not responsible for cholera; the disease affected the stomach and not the lungs, and victims caught cholera by drinking contaminated water.

  • Why did John Snow remove the water pump from Broad Street in 1854?

    John Snow removed the water pump from Broad Street in 1854 because he mapped the deaths from cholera in Soho and discovered that the deaths centered around the water pump on Broad Street.

  • After John Snow presented his findings in 1855 to the government, did they make changes to prevent the spread of cholera based on Snow's discovery?

    No.

    When John Snow presented his findings to the government in 1855, the government did not act. The General Board of Health and scientists continued to believe that miasma, not water, caused cholera.

  • How did the work of Robert Koch and Louis Pasteur prove Snow's theory of how cholera spread?

    The work of Robert Koch and Louis Pasteur proved Snow's theory of how cholera spread as Pasteur created Germ Theory which disproved miasma, and Koch isolated the bacteria that caused cholera.