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The History of Health and Medicine - Introduction

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The History of Health and Medicine

Introduction


Learning objectives

What we will learn in this presentation:

What the history of medicine is.

What a development study is.

An overview of the history of medicine from prehistoric times to the present day.

Which factors have affected the state of health and medicine at different points in history.


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People throughout history have become sick and needed medical help.

The type of medical help available to them was very different depending on when they lived!

What is the history of medicine?


You will study changes in medicine over 5,000 years – from about 3000 BC to the present day, and the effects of medicine on people’s health during that time.

Some of the time periods saw rapid improvement in health, while at other times people’s health got worse. This was because of other factors, events or influences at the time.

When studying the history of medicine you will study change over a long period of time.

What is a development study?


Useful terms


History of medicine timeline


Looking at the information, how even do you think the development of medicine has been?

Explain your answer.

As we travel through the 5,000 years of our study, you will see a number of changes to the type of medicine and healthcare available.

Five thousand years of change


The first 3,000 years of our study fall in the prehistoric period. 'Prehistory' means before writing, which means we have to rely on other sources for information about health and medicine.

Archaeologists can use cave paintings and preserved skeletons to find out what life was like. We can also study people whose lives have not changed for thousands of years, like Aborigines.

We think that people at this time believed illness was caused by spirits. Charms were used to ward off sickness.

The prehistoric period – 3000 BC to AD 43


Although these ancient civilizations produced the world’s first doctors and reasoned medical theories, most ideas about the causes and treatment of diseases were based on superstition.

In Britain, for most of this period, their was no medical progress. It was only when the Romans came that there was any investment in medicine.

During the prehistoric period there was progress in other parts of the world – particularly the Egyptian, Greek and Roman civilizations.

The ancient world


The Middle Ages saw some medical progress, including the setting up of universities, and some regress (decline), due partly to the end of the Roman Empire, when much of the knowledge of the ancient civilizations was lost.

What other barriers do you think might have existed against the development of medicine at this time?

In the Middle Ages the church controlled those who were allowed to practise medicine and new ideas were not encouraged.

Life expectancy was just 36 years for women and 37 for men, compared to 38 and 40 years for those living in the Greek and Roman civilizations.

37 36*

* Life expectancy figures are almost impossible to verify and are rough estimates only.

The Middle Ages – AD 500 to 1400


Renaissance means ‘rebirth’. The Renaissance period in Europe saw a rebirth of the learning and knowledge lost from the Classical period (Greek and Roman civilizations).

This was a time when many new discoveries were made about the human body, some of which over-turned ideas that had been around for more than a thousand years.

Despite these new developments, health hardly improved as many doctors were suspicious of new ideas, and there was still no knowledge of what caused disease.

Life expectancy for women increased by about two years, and for men four years.

41 38** Life expectancy figures are almost impossible to verify and are rough estimates only.

The Medical Renaissance – 1400 to 1750


It was during the Industrial Revolution period that the causes of disease were discovered, and scientists and doctors could then use their knowledge of ‘germs’ to begin to find cures.

Preventing illness was also important and the invention of vaccinations began to eliminate certain killer diseases such as smallpox.

Public Health Acts were passed which helped improve conditions in towns. The discovery of antiseptics and anaesthetics improved surgical techniques.

These improvements led to a greater life expectancy, but poor living and working conditions prevented any further progress.

45 49** Life expectancy figures are almost impossible to verify and are rough estimates only.

The Industrial Revolution – 1750 to 1900


In the 20th century more progress was made in improving medicine and health than in the previous 5,000 years.

The causes of most diseases were discovered in the 20th century, and by the year 2000 the vast majority of illnesses could be prevented or cured.

Shorter working hours, better housing, the introduction of a free National Health Service and better diets all led to far higher life expectancy than ever before.

There are many reasons for improvements in health in the 20th century. Which do you think has had the biggest effect?

72 78*

* Life expectancy figures are almost impossible to verify and are rough estimates only.

The 20th century


In looking at how and why medicine and health progressed at different rates, we will be considering the part played by factors. Factors include:

Sometimes these factors helped the development of medicine and sometimes they hindered it. You need to consider their effects throughout your study.

religion

individuals

chance

education

communications

government

war

technology

Factors affecting medicine


Factors affecting medicine


Progress or regress?


Now you've seen some examples of how the factors have affected the development of medicine, can you add your

own examples for each one?

religion

individuals

chance

education

communications

government

war

technology

Think of an example!


Throughout your study keep asking yourself about change and continuity.

When, why and how did the state of medicine and health change? When, why and how did it stay the

same?

Did the change or continuity progress or regress the development of medicine?

Change and continuity

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