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Medicine through time

Medicine through time: from herbs to germ theory, anaesthetic, antibiotics and X-rays. Read one part at a time and tap “I know this”. Then test yourself in the quiz.

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On a timeline

±400 BCHippocrates: watch patients,find natural causes1796Jenner’s first vaccine1858The Great Stink in London;new sewers1860sPasteur: germ theory;Lister: antiseptics1882Koch finds the germ thatcauses TB1895Röntgen discovers X-rays1928Fleming discovers penicillin1967Barnard’s first hearttransplant (Groote Schuur)
The microscope finally made germs visible.
WordMeaning
VaccineTeaches the body to fight a germ
AntisepticLiquid that kills germs on skin (Lister disinfected instruments)
PainkillerTakes away pain
StethoscopeListen to the heart and lungs
ThermometerMeasures body temperature
SurgeonDoctor who operates in a theatre
HerbalistTraditional healer who uses plants

Hippocrates was a Greek doctor (about 400 BC). He taught that illness has natural causes and is not a punishment from the gods, and that doctors should watch and write down a patient’s signs. He is called the Father of Medicine; many new doctors still make a promise based on his ideas, the Hippocratic Oath.

Medicine through the ages.
Medicine through the ages.
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Two meanings

The word medicine has two meanings: a remedy you take (“The nurse gave Sipho his medicine”) and the science of healing (“Medicine has changed a lot in 200 years”). Both aim to heal. It comes from the Latin medicus, a doctor. Preventive medicine keeps people from getting ill. Only take medicine a doctor or nurse gave you. Surgeons have worn rubber gloves against germs since the 1890s.

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Remember this and test yourself

Remember this: your summary
  • Early communities treated illness with plants and herbs; traditional medicine uses local knowledge.
  • The big discovery: germs cause many illnesses (Louis Pasteur).
  • Operations were dangerous without anaesthetic (the patient was awake) and germ knowledge; the biggest killer was infection afterwards.
  • Antibiotics kill bacteria (Fleming’s penicillin from a mould); always finish the course.
  • People live longer: better medicine, food and clean water.

Write these points in your book. Read them again the night before the test.

Memory trick

Pasteur = Proved germs cause illness; Fleming = Fungus (mould) becomes penicillin.

Flash cards · Tap to turn over

Important words

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Test yourself · Part 2

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