Studied by 0 peopleWhat does laissez-faire mean?
Not to interfere and to let people make their own choices
Why was the theory of miasma less popular towards the end of the 19th century?
Increase in more scientific explanations like germ theory
What was spontaneous generation theory?
When matter decays, microorganisms are produced and spread via miasma
When was Germ Theory discovered? Who was it discovered by?
1861, Louis Pasteur
What is Germ Theory?
Theory that states that all air contains microbes and they cause decay
What theory disproved spontaneous generation?
Germ theory
Which scientists supported Germ Theory?
Joseph Lister and John Tyndall
What did Robert Koch discover about disease in the 19th century?
Bacteria was responsible for diseases, such as tuberculosis (TB) in 1882 and cholera in 1883
Why did the British government in the 19th century not support Germ Theory?
It didn’t provide any practical solutions to disease
What were the main factors that influenced the understanding of disease in the 19th century?
Individuals like Pasteur, technological developments, the use of science
How did hospitals change in the 18th century?
Increased access to the Deserving Poor, wards to separate infectious patients from non-infections ones
What were three ways that Florence Nightingale improved hospitals conditions?
Insisted on: cleanliness, organisation, proper treatment
What was the difference in mortality rates in hospitals during the Crimean War after Nightingale’s influence?
Dropped from 40% to 2%
What was the name of the nursing school that Nightingale established? When was it established?
The Nightingale School for Nurses at St Thomas' Hospital in London, 1860
How did hospital treatment improve treatment in the 19th century?
Established specialist departments, used antiseptics and adopted aseptic techniques
What was laughing gas (nitrous oxide) used for in the 18th century?
Smaller operations
Why was ether a problematic anaesthetic in the 19th century?
Made patients vomit, irritated lungs, was flammable
How did James Simpson discover the use of chloroform?
He tested various chemicals for their anaesthetic properties with his friends.
Why did some doctors choose not to use chloroform in the 19th century?
Easy to overdose and kill a patient
Were operating theatres cleaned in the 18th century before surgery?
No. Surgeons also didn’t wash their hands, clean aprons or surgical equipment
When did Joseph Lister start to use carbolic acid in surgery?
1865 when he soaked a bandage with carbolic acid and applied it to a broken leg after surgery
Why did some surgeons not use carbolic acid during surgery in the 19th century?
Dried out skin, made unpleasant smell, may not understand germ theory and weren’t willing to use carbolic acid
What is aseptic surgery?
Surgery is carried out free of bacteria and the risk of infection
How was surgery made aseptic by the 20th century?
Medical staff washed faces/hands/arms, surgical equipment is sterilised, bacteria removed from the air
When did Edward Jenner create a vaccine for smallpox?
1796
How dangerous was smallpox?
Killed about 30% of victims
What is inoculation?
When someone’s infected with the disease to protect against a stronger version of it
Why was inoculation problematic in the 19th century?
Expensive, inoculators became wealthy, some died from the process
What is vaccination?
Introduction of a vaccine containing appropriate disease antigens into the body, by injection
How did Jenner test the link between smallpox and cowpox? When?
1796, infected James Phipps with cowpox and 6 weeks later with smallpox. He didn’t catch smallpox
Why did some doctors in the 18th and 19th centuries not support vaccinations?
Believed they’d lose money and destroy their careers without inoculation
How did the government in the 19th century try to change public opinion of vaccinations?
Made inoculation illegal in 1840 and smallpox vaccinations compulsory in 1852
What discovery did Edwin Chadwick's report on the Sanitary Conditions of the Labouring Classes find in 1842?
Found connection between life expectancy and living standards
When was the first Public Health Act introduced?
1848
What did the second Public Health Act of 1875 introduce?
Compulsory for local authorities to: provide clean water, dispose of waste properly, build public toilers, provide parks for exercise
What is the cause of cholera?
Drinking water contaminated with faeces, contact with a person who has cholera
What are some of the symptoms of cholera?
Vomiting, dehydration, diarrhoea, burst blood vessels beneath skin
How many people in London died from cholera by the end of 1832?
5,275
Who was John Snow?
A well-respected London surgeon and London's best anaesthetist
Why did Snow believe that miasma didn’t cause cholera?
It affected the stomach, not the lungs
Why did Snow remove the Broad Street water pump in 1854?
He mapped the Soho cholera deaths and discovered they centered around the pump
How did the work of Robert Koch and Louis Pasteur prove Snow's theory of how cholera spread?
Germ Theory disproved miasma, Koch isolated the cholera bacteria
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