Studied by 0 peopleEdexcel GCSE History: Medicine Through Time - Modern Medicine
What had Britain and the world accepted about germs by 1900?
That microbes were the cause of disease, rather than Spontaneous Generation (the other way round)
What were two things doctors were especially interested in in the modern period?
Understanding and treating cancer
Genetic diseases (being passed down in families)
What did Garrod theorise in 1902?
That hereditary diseases are caused by missing information in the body’s chemical pathways
Who discovered DNA and when?
Crick and Watson, in 1953
When was the Human Genome Project launched?
1990
What was the Human Genome Project?
An international, collaborative research effort to map the human genome
How did the Human Genome Project help medicine?
Detailed understanding of DNA allowed the discovery of the cause of hereditary diseases eg cystic fibrosis
What are some lifestyle factors that doctors realised could cause ill health?
Diet
Exercise
Smoking
Alcohol
Drugs
What is a ‘magic bullet’?
Medicine that kills specific germs in the body without harming healthy cells
What was the first ‘magic bullet’ and when was it discovered?
Salvarsan 606, 1909
Who discovered Salvarsan 606?
Ehrlich and Hata
What was the second ‘magic bullet’ and what did it do?
Prontosil cured blood poisoning
Who initially discovered penicillin and when?
Alexander Fleming in 1928
Why didn’t Fleming continue his work with penicillin?
Time-consuming
Expensive
Needed lots of equipment
He didn’t believe it was that effective
Who were the scientists who continued the work with penicillin?
Florey and Chain
How did Florey and Chain continue the work with penicillin?
They made as much as possible, however after months it was only enough to start to treat an infection. The UK government refused funding but American pharmaceutical companies and the US government funded the mass production of penicillin and it was successful in WW2
What are some new vaccinations invented in the modern period?
Measles
Rubella
Tetanus
Covid
What were some technological advancements in the modern period?
Developed use of x-rays
Keyhole, robotic, laser surgery
Prosthetics
CT, MRI, PET scans
Chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy
Blood tests
When was the NHS created and who set it up?
Labour’s Minister for Health, Aneurin Bevan, set up the NHS in 1948
When was the Ministry of Health created and what was it?
1919, a government department to focus specifically on healthcare
What did the 1911 National Insurance Act state?
Workers could access free medical care if they paid taxes (families not included)
Why did some private doctors oppose to the NHS and how was this dealt with?
They opposed because they didn’t want to lose lots of income and work by being replaced by free healthcare. The government decided they could still work privately and people could use private healthcare if they wished
How did Crick and Watson use technology to discover the structure of DNA and when did they discover it?
They used Rosalind Franklin’s x-rays and some powerful microscopes to build a DNA model in 1953
Causes in the modern period:
DNA (hereditary diseases)
Bacteria
Poor lifestyle
Prevention in the modern period:
Scans
Blood tests
Vaccinations
Government campaigns
Treatments in the modern period:
Radiotherapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy
Antibiotics
Laser, robotic, keyhole surgery
How did the government change their attitude in the modern period?
They campaigned against smoking and took full responsibility over healthcare by setting up the Ministry of Health and the NHS
What did the government to do stop the rise of lung cancer?
Public campaigns against smoking
Banned smoking in public places
Banned cigarette advertising
Raised the age of buying cigarettes from 16 to 18
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