Chance

Chance events had a significant impact (both positive and negative) on the ways in which medicine developed during the period.

Galen's religion

Claudius Galen's ideas were the foundation of European medicine for 1,400 years. This was due to the Church's support of his ideas, because he was a monotheist.
Conclusion: If Galen had not been a monotheist (unusual for Roman times), the Church would not have supported his ideas. Yet some of his ideas turned out to be wrong.

Outbreaks of disease

Unusually hot weather and The Great Stink (1858) forced the government to reform the sewage system.
The cholera outbreak in London in 1854 allowed Snow to discover the link between contaminated water and cholera.
Alexander Fleming only discovered penicillin because he accidentally left out some bacteria samples. This was very lucky.
Conclusion: Often, chance developments or circumstances had a positive effect on medicine.

Pasteur's discoveries

In 1879, Louis Pasteur accidentally showed that vaccinations could prevent disease.
His researcher Charles Chamberland left out a cholera culture over the weekend, they discovered that weakened (attenuated) cholera germs could make a chicken immune from later bouts of cholera.
Conclusion: This was one of many examples of how accidents could lead to scientific discoveries.

Fleming's discoveries

Fleming discovered Penicillin by accident in 1928. He left out some Staphylococcus bacteria in his laboratory. Mould grew on one of the plates with the bacteria and this stopped the bacteria from growing.
This mould was a fungus called Penicillin.
Conclusion: Although he had made an important discovery, Fleming's chance finding did not receive attention for many years.

1Medicine Stands Still

1.1Ancient Egyptian Approaches to Medicine

1.1.1Ancient Egyptian Medicine

1.2Ancient Greek Medicine

1.2.1Hippocrates

1.2.2Galen & Ancient Rome

1.2.3End of Topic Test - Ideas About Disease

1.3Medieval Medicine

1.3.1The Fall of Rome

1.3.2The Medieval 'Doctor'

1.4Religion & Medicine

1.4.1Christianity & Medicine

1.4.2Islam & Medicine

1.4.3Medieval Surgery

1.5Public Health in the Middle Ages

1.5.1Towns & Monasteries

1.5.2The Black Death

1.5.3End of Topic Test - Medieval Medicine

1.5.4Grade 9 Medieval Medicine

2The Beginnings of Change

2.1The Impact of the Renaissance on Britain

2.1.1The Renaissance & Vesalius

2.1.2Paré & Harvey

2.1.3Institutions & Technology in the Renaissance

2.2Treating Illnesses in the Renaissance

2.2.1The Great Plague

2.2.2Physicians, Surgeons & Hospitals

2.2.3End of Topic Test - The Beginnings of Change

2.2.4Grade 9 - The Beginnings of Change

2.2.5Exam-Style Questions - Source Utility

2.3Prevention of Disease

2.3.1Vaccination & the Spread of Disease

2.3.2Was There Progress in Renaissance Medicine?

2.3.3Exam-Style Questions - Societal Attitudes

3A Revolution in Medicine

3.1The Development of Germ Theory & its Impact

3.1.1Germ Theory, Pasteur & Koch

3.1.2Magic Bullets & the Impact of Germ Theory

3.2A Revolution in Surgery

3.2.1Anaesthetics & Antiseptics

3.3Improvements in Public Health

3.3.1Public Health & Cholera

3.3.2C19 Improvements in Public Health

3.3.3End of Topic Test - Revolution in Medicine

3.3.4Grade 9 - Revolution in Medicine

4Modern Medicine

4.1Modern Treatment of Disease

4.1.1WW1, Pharmaceuticals & Penicillin

4.1.2Exam-Style Questions - Penicillin

4.1.3The Impact of War on Medicine

4.2New Diseases & Treatments in the 20th Century

4.2.120th Century Diseases & Treatments

4.2.2Alternative Treatments & Transplants

4.3Modern Public Health

4.3.1Booth, Rowntree & the Liberals

4.3.2The Welfare State

4.3.3The NHS

4.3.4End of Topic Test - New Diseases & Treatments

4.3.5Grade 9 - Modern Medicine

5Themes in Public Health

5.1Themes in Public Health over the Period

5.1.1War

5.1.2Exam-Style Questions - War

5.1.3Religion & Superstition

5.1.4Chance

5.1.5Government

5.1.6Communication

5.1.7Science & Technology

5.1.8Role of Individuals

5.1.9End of Topic Test - Themes in Public Health

5.1.10Grade 9 - Themes in Public Health

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