History of medicine
Records of physicians treating the sick stretch back more than 4,500 years. However, for most of this time doctors had little knowledge, and relied mainly on superstition and herbal cures.
Medical science as we know it began 300 years ago, when a flowering of knowledge helped doctors understand, how the body works, later, innovation, such as immunization, helped cure its ills. Today medical advances save more lives than ever before, but it can be expensive – and many of the world’s poorest people cannot afford it.
Ancient Greece and Rome
Greek doctors learned surgery by treating war wounds, but blamed the gods for any failures. Ancient Romans improved public health with clean water supplies and sewer systems.
Asclepius and Hygieia
The Greek god of medicine, Asclepius, may have actually been a real physician 3,200 years ago. The Romans worshipped both him, and his daughter Hygieia, whose name gives us the word “hygiene”.
Hippocrates
Greek physician Hippocrates (460-370BC) separated medicine from magic. This treatment included diets, purgatives, baths, and fresh air. He was one of the first to realize that a poor environment can cause bad health. Today, trainee doctors still pledge their dedication to patient by repeating an oath once said to be written by Hippocrates.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Prehistoric medicine
Prehistoric medicine
Buried skeletons provide hints about prehistoric medical treatment. In a procedure called trepanning, early surgeons drilled their patient’s skulls, perhaps thinking this would let diseases escape. Archeologists have found skulls that show partial healing, so not all patients died after the operation.
Medieval medicine
For 1000 years in medieval Europe, doctors trusted religion, astrology, and Galen’s teachings. Even during the renaissance there was wide – spread ignorance about illness and its treatment.
These were few medical schools in medieval faculty at Padua University, Italy, has a steeply tiered anatomy lecture theatre, so that students could see the corpse being dissected.
Modern medicine
In the 20th century, medical knowledge developed move quickly than ever before. The control of infectious diseases meant that children in the developed world born in the late 1990s can now expect to see 25 more birthdays than children born in 1900.
Through a better understanding of how our bodies work, scientists devised new drugs, new ways of detecting illness, and new treatment, which now make nor lives healthier as well as longer.
Buried skeletons provide hints about prehistoric medical treatment. In a procedure called trepanning, early surgeons drilled their patient’s skulls, perhaps thinking this would let diseases escape. Archeologists have found skulls that show partial healing, so not all patients died after the operation.
Medieval medicine
For 1000 years in medieval Europe, doctors trusted religion, astrology, and Galen’s teachings. Even during the renaissance there was wide – spread ignorance about illness and its treatment.
These were few medical schools in medieval faculty at Padua University, Italy, has a steeply tiered anatomy lecture theatre, so that students could see the corpse being dissected.
Modern medicine
In the 20th century, medical knowledge developed move quickly than ever before. The control of infectious diseases meant that children in the developed world born in the late 1990s can now expect to see 25 more birthdays than children born in 1900.
Through a better understanding of how our bodies work, scientists devised new drugs, new ways of detecting illness, and new treatment, which now make nor lives healthier as well as longer.
Medicine
Medicine
Medicine is a science that aims to prevent or treat the disorders that affect human body. These range widely, from minor injuries, such as a sprained ankle, to life-threatening conditions, such as heart disease.
The skill and knowledge of doctors and nurses, as well as major advances in modern diagnostic technology, surgery and drugs have made medicine highly effective. Today, more people live in good health, for longer than ever before.
Diagnosis
Identifying the cause of an illness and prescribing the appropriate treatment is called diagnosis. It requires great skill from the doctor, and involves a number of stages.
After listening to a description of the symptoms, the doctor examines the patient, for ex. checking heart beat or boiling point. Samples may be sent for testing, before a doctor finally decides on a course of treatment, or refers the patient to a specialist at a local hospital.
Patients are not always able to describe the symptoms of their illness.
Symptoms and signs
Symptoms are the indications of an illness noticed by a patient and described to the doctor. Symptoms include pain, bleeding, or a rash. The doctor considers these factors with any signs of disease that he or she notices, to formulate a diagnosis.
Tests
Doctors use a range of diagnostic tests to help them make an accurate diagnosis. They may take samples of blood, urine, mucus, vomit, or pus. The samples are put in labeled tubes and sent for testing at a laboratory.
Medicine is a science that aims to prevent or treat the disorders that affect human body. These range widely, from minor injuries, such as a sprained ankle, to life-threatening conditions, such as heart disease.
The skill and knowledge of doctors and nurses, as well as major advances in modern diagnostic technology, surgery and drugs have made medicine highly effective. Today, more people live in good health, for longer than ever before.
Diagnosis
Identifying the cause of an illness and prescribing the appropriate treatment is called diagnosis. It requires great skill from the doctor, and involves a number of stages.
After listening to a description of the symptoms, the doctor examines the patient, for ex. checking heart beat or boiling point. Samples may be sent for testing, before a doctor finally decides on a course of treatment, or refers the patient to a specialist at a local hospital.
Patients are not always able to describe the symptoms of their illness.
Symptoms and signs
Symptoms are the indications of an illness noticed by a patient and described to the doctor. Symptoms include pain, bleeding, or a rash. The doctor considers these factors with any signs of disease that he or she notices, to formulate a diagnosis.
Tests
Doctors use a range of diagnostic tests to help them make an accurate diagnosis. They may take samples of blood, urine, mucus, vomit, or pus. The samples are put in labeled tubes and sent for testing at a laboratory.
Doctors
Doctors
By law, a medical doctor must complete a period of training before he or she is qualified to diagnose and treat patients. This invlolves at the very least 3 years of study, followed by work as a trainee in the hospital. In most countries, a national register lists those doctors who are qualified to practice, doctors can be struck off the register for malpractice.
Dr. Christian Barnard
South African Surgeon Dr. Christian (1923-2001) performed the world's first transplant operation at Groote Schuur Hospital, cape town, in 1967. The patient survived for just 18 days, but Barnard's operation introduced a pioneering procedure that is now carried out routinely in hospitals around the world.
Medical instruments
Doctors use a range of medical instruments to help them and diagnose a patient's illness. Ophthalmoscopes are used for looking into the eyes. Otoscopes are for looking into the ear to detect infections.
With a laryngeal mirror and laryngoscope doctors examine the throat and trachea.
By law, a medical doctor must complete a period of training before he or she is qualified to diagnose and treat patients. This invlolves at the very least 3 years of study, followed by work as a trainee in the hospital. In most countries, a national register lists those doctors who are qualified to practice, doctors can be struck off the register for malpractice.
Dr. Christian Barnard
South African Surgeon Dr. Christian (1923-2001) performed the world's first transplant operation at Groote Schuur Hospital, cape town, in 1967. The patient survived for just 18 days, but Barnard's operation introduced a pioneering procedure that is now carried out routinely in hospitals around the world.
Medical instruments
Doctors use a range of medical instruments to help them and diagnose a patient's illness. Ophthalmoscopes are used for looking into the eyes. Otoscopes are for looking into the ear to detect infections.
With a laryngeal mirror and laryngoscope doctors examine the throat and trachea.
Branches of medicine
Branches of medicine
Medicine has many branches, and no one doctor could be an expert in all of them. Some doctors are general practioners (GPs); the first contact for most patients, they have a broad understanding of must conditions. When necessary, a GP refers patient to specialist in a wide range of fields, from orthopaedics to psychiatry.
Orthopaedics
Orthopedics deals with diseases and injuries of bones, joints, muscles and ligaments. Orthopaedic surgeons treat a range of conditions, including broken bones.
Pediatrics
The study of the growth and development of babies and children and the treatment of diseases experienced in childhood are called pediatrics.
Psychiatry
The diagnosis and treatment of emotioned and behavioral problems, and mental illness, is called psychiatry. Psychiatrists use counseling, drugs, and in some cases electroconvulsive therapy, also known as ECT, to help patients.
Dermatology
This is the study of the skin and hair including treatment of conditions, such as skin cancer, acne and eczema.
Gynaecology
Gynaecology is concerned with the woman's reproductive system. It deals with pregnancy and childbirth, and also disorders such as menstrual problems or infertility.
Neurology
Neurologist treat disorders of the brain and nervous systems conditions such as muscular dystrophy and Parkinson’s diseases.
Medicine has many branches, and no one doctor could be an expert in all of them. Some doctors are general practioners (GPs); the first contact for most patients, they have a broad understanding of must conditions. When necessary, a GP refers patient to specialist in a wide range of fields, from orthopaedics to psychiatry.
Orthopaedics
Orthopedics deals with diseases and injuries of bones, joints, muscles and ligaments. Orthopaedic surgeons treat a range of conditions, including broken bones.
Pediatrics
The study of the growth and development of babies and children and the treatment of diseases experienced in childhood are called pediatrics.
Psychiatry
The diagnosis and treatment of emotioned and behavioral problems, and mental illness, is called psychiatry. Psychiatrists use counseling, drugs, and in some cases electroconvulsive therapy, also known as ECT, to help patients.
Dermatology
This is the study of the skin and hair including treatment of conditions, such as skin cancer, acne and eczema.
Gynaecology
Gynaecology is concerned with the woman's reproductive system. It deals with pregnancy and childbirth, and also disorders such as menstrual problems or infertility.
Neurology
Neurologist treat disorders of the brain and nervous systems conditions such as muscular dystrophy and Parkinson’s diseases.
Surgery
Surgery
Surgery is a medicine that involved cutting into the body to treat a disease or an injury. Surgeons carry out procedure, called operations, in open theatres. An operation may be minor, such as the removal of a skin blemish, or major, such as a heart by-pass operation.
Surgical instrument
These are the instruments used during operations. They include scissors for cutting tissue and trimming stitches, scalpels, used for cutting, refractories, which hold tissue apart, and artery foreceps, used to clamp blood vessels.
Anaesthetics
Anaesthetics are drugs used to relieve a patient’s pain during surgery. The drugs can be injected or inhaled. Local anaesthetic’s numb only the affected part of the body, general anaesthetics render the patient unconscious.
Surgery is a medicine that involved cutting into the body to treat a disease or an injury. Surgeons carry out procedure, called operations, in open theatres. An operation may be minor, such as the removal of a skin blemish, or major, such as a heart by-pass operation.
Surgical instrument
These are the instruments used during operations. They include scissors for cutting tissue and trimming stitches, scalpels, used for cutting, refractories, which hold tissue apart, and artery foreceps, used to clamp blood vessels.
Anaesthetics
Anaesthetics are drugs used to relieve a patient’s pain during surgery. The drugs can be injected or inhaled. Local anaesthetic’s numb only the affected part of the body, general anaesthetics render the patient unconscious.
Medical Technology
Medical Technology
Medical technology advances rapidly during the 20th century. Imaging technologies, such as X- rays and PET scans, allow a disease to be diagnosed without having to cut and open the patient. With sophisticated surgical equipment, doctors carry out increasingly complex treatments, curing more diseases and keeping more patients alive.
PET scan
PET (Positron emission tomography) scanners investigate activity in the brain. They detect radiation given off by the brain and produce an image. They are used to locate tumours and diagnose epilepsy.
Endoscope
Doctors look inside the body using an endoscope – a long flexible tube of optical fibres, some fibers carry light into the body, others carry an image back to the doctor on a video screen.
X-rays
An X-ray is radiation used to take photographs of bones and teeth. As X-rays pass through a patient’s body, they are absorbed by bone but not by softer tissues. Detectors by photographic film, this produces as shadowy image of the inside of the body.
Medical technology advances rapidly during the 20th century. Imaging technologies, such as X- rays and PET scans, allow a disease to be diagnosed without having to cut and open the patient. With sophisticated surgical equipment, doctors carry out increasingly complex treatments, curing more diseases and keeping more patients alive.
PET scan
PET (Positron emission tomography) scanners investigate activity in the brain. They detect radiation given off by the brain and produce an image. They are used to locate tumours and diagnose epilepsy.
Endoscope
Doctors look inside the body using an endoscope – a long flexible tube of optical fibres, some fibers carry light into the body, others carry an image back to the doctor on a video screen.
X-rays
An X-ray is radiation used to take photographs of bones and teeth. As X-rays pass through a patient’s body, they are absorbed by bone but not by softer tissues. Detectors by photographic film, this produces as shadowy image of the inside of the body.
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