The following themes run through the key topics:
• changes in medical treatment and in understanding the cause of illness
• improvements in public health provision
• changes in surgery
• the changing role of women in medicine
• the impact of war and science and technology on medicine.
What students need to learn:
1) Progress in the mid19th century; Nightingale, Chadwick, Snow and Simpson
→ Barriers to progress, especially the lack of understanding of
causes of disease. Florence Nightingale and changes in nursing and
hospitals at Scutari. Dangers in surgery: pain, infection and
bleeding; the impact of Simpson and chloroform. Problems and
improvements in public health, including the work of Chadwick and the
effects of the Public Health Act (1848), the cholera threat and the
work of Snow.
2) Discovery and development, 1860–75; Lister and Pasteur
→ Pasteur, the development of the germ theory and its effects.
Improvements in surgery: Lister and the impact of antiseptics.
Government action on public health: the significance of Public Health
Act (1875). Nightingale and continuing improvements in hospitals and
nursing. Elizabeth Garrett and the progress of women in medicine.
3) Accelerating change, 1875–1905; Ehrlich, Koch and chemistry
→ The fight against germs, including the work of Koch and
bacteriology; aseptic surgery; the impact of the Public Health Act
(1875) for improving public health; science and medicine: blood
transfusions, magic bullets and the work of Ehrlich, radioactivity
and the impact of Marie Curie.
4) Government action and war, 1905–20
→ The impact on public health of the measures (1906–11) of the
Liberal Governments. The importance of the First World War for the
role of women in medicine and improvements in medical treatment,
surgery, x-rays, blood transfusion and fighting infection.
5) Advances in medicine, surgery and public health 1920–48; the NHS
→ The development of penicillin and the roles of Fleming, Florey and
Chain. The importance of the Second World War for developments in
surgery, including skin grafts and blood transfusion, and for the
, role of women in medicine. Beveridge, the development of the NHS and
its importance for public health.
MEDICINE RUN-THROUGH
• Ideas about the cause and treatment of disease and illness.
• Approaches to public health and prevention of disease and illness.
• The influence of changes in society on medicine and public health.
Summary of content to learn for finals:
Medicine c50AD–c1350
→ The influence of the ideas of Hippocrates and Galen; supernatural and rational explanations
for diseases and illness; the belief in the Theory of the Four Humours.
→ Changing approaches to public health provision during the period: Roman
sanitation and water supply and the reasons for and extent of their
deterioration after the Roman withdrawal; public health provision in
medieval towns.
Medicine and public health in summary: the impact of the Roman occupation and
withdrawal from Britain(Theory of FH); the influence of the Church on medicine,
hospitals and on the training of doctors.
C1350–c1750
→ Medical ideas and practices in the late Middle Ages: continued
importance of Galen’s ideas and the continued influence of the church on
medicine, hospitals and the training of doctors: continuity in the use of
traditional remedies.
→ New knowledge in the medical Renaissance: the influence of Vesalius and
the work of William Harvey; changes in medical training.
→ Approaches to public health and prevention of disease and illness: the
provision of water supplies and the disposal of waste from c1350;
approaches to dealing with the Black Death in 1348 and the Great Plague of
1665.
• changes in medical treatment and in understanding the cause of illness
• improvements in public health provision
• changes in surgery
• the changing role of women in medicine
• the impact of war and science and technology on medicine.
What students need to learn:
1) Progress in the mid19th century; Nightingale, Chadwick, Snow and Simpson
→ Barriers to progress, especially the lack of understanding of
causes of disease. Florence Nightingale and changes in nursing and
hospitals at Scutari. Dangers in surgery: pain, infection and
bleeding; the impact of Simpson and chloroform. Problems and
improvements in public health, including the work of Chadwick and the
effects of the Public Health Act (1848), the cholera threat and the
work of Snow.
2) Discovery and development, 1860–75; Lister and Pasteur
→ Pasteur, the development of the germ theory and its effects.
Improvements in surgery: Lister and the impact of antiseptics.
Government action on public health: the significance of Public Health
Act (1875). Nightingale and continuing improvements in hospitals and
nursing. Elizabeth Garrett and the progress of women in medicine.
3) Accelerating change, 1875–1905; Ehrlich, Koch and chemistry
→ The fight against germs, including the work of Koch and
bacteriology; aseptic surgery; the impact of the Public Health Act
(1875) for improving public health; science and medicine: blood
transfusions, magic bullets and the work of Ehrlich, radioactivity
and the impact of Marie Curie.
4) Government action and war, 1905–20
→ The impact on public health of the measures (1906–11) of the
Liberal Governments. The importance of the First World War for the
role of women in medicine and improvements in medical treatment,
surgery, x-rays, blood transfusion and fighting infection.
5) Advances in medicine, surgery and public health 1920–48; the NHS
→ The development of penicillin and the roles of Fleming, Florey and
Chain. The importance of the Second World War for developments in
surgery, including skin grafts and blood transfusion, and for the
, role of women in medicine. Beveridge, the development of the NHS and
its importance for public health.
MEDICINE RUN-THROUGH
• Ideas about the cause and treatment of disease and illness.
• Approaches to public health and prevention of disease and illness.
• The influence of changes in society on medicine and public health.
Summary of content to learn for finals:
Medicine c50AD–c1350
→ The influence of the ideas of Hippocrates and Galen; supernatural and rational explanations
for diseases and illness; the belief in the Theory of the Four Humours.
→ Changing approaches to public health provision during the period: Roman
sanitation and water supply and the reasons for and extent of their
deterioration after the Roman withdrawal; public health provision in
medieval towns.
Medicine and public health in summary: the impact of the Roman occupation and
withdrawal from Britain(Theory of FH); the influence of the Church on medicine,
hospitals and on the training of doctors.
C1350–c1750
→ Medical ideas and practices in the late Middle Ages: continued
importance of Galen’s ideas and the continued influence of the church on
medicine, hospitals and the training of doctors: continuity in the use of
traditional remedies.
→ New knowledge in the medical Renaissance: the influence of Vesalius and
the work of William Harvey; changes in medical training.
→ Approaches to public health and prevention of disease and illness: the
provision of water supplies and the disposal of waste from c1350;
approaches to dealing with the Black Death in 1348 and the Great Plague of
1665.
