2.3.1
William Harvey & the Great Plague
The Work of Harvey
The Work of Harvey
William Harvey was an English physician (doctor) who was born in 1578. He studied medicine in Padua and was particularly interested in physiology. He was the physician for the English Kings James I and Charles I.
Harvey and Galen
Harvey and Galen
- Harvey challenged Galen’s understanding of blood and how it circulated around the body.
- He thought that blood circulated around the body. This view was different from Galen’s view that new blood was made in the liver and used as fuel.
Circulation of blood
Circulation of blood
- Harvey used valves to show that blood could only flow one way in the body and he thought that too much blood was in the body to be continually created as fuel.
- He showed that the heart was a pump for the blood in the body.
Resistance to change
Resistance to change
- When Harvey first published his theory, he was ridiculed.
- Professional opinion did change, but it took a lot of time and lots of doctors continued to use bloodletting despite Harvey showing it would not be effective.
- This highlights the limited impact of one individual. Although Harvey made this major discovery, his ideas needed to be accepted by the medical community.
Limited understanding
Limited understanding
- Harvey’s theory implied that bloodletting was a counterproductive (ineffective) method of treatment.
- But this continued for many years as doctors didn’t know what else to do.
- Despite his discoveries, Harvey did not understand why blood needed to circulate around the body and why blood in arteries and veins was different.
After Harvey
After Harvey
- His theory of circulation was the first stage towards blood transfusions becoming possible to save people’s lives.
- In 1901, the discovery of blood groups made blood transfusions successful.
- In 1661, after Harvey had died, a microscope was developed. This microscope showed that veins and arteries were linked by capillaries.
The Great Plague - 1665
The Great Plague - 1665
In 1665, the bubonic plague reappeared in Britain. The epidemic killed 100,000 people (almost 25% of London’s population).
Believed causes
Believed causes
- People still blamed miasma or supernatural/religious causes (God’s will) just like they did in the Black Death.
Remedies
Remedies
- Remedies for the plague included bloodletting through leeches, smoking, using animals such as frogs or snakes to ‘draw out the poison’ or moving to the countryside.
- In 1666 the plague seemed to be ending. Some people think that the Great Fire of London (1666) killed a lot of the bacteria causing the plague and helping to end the epidemic.
Improvements since the Black Death in 1348
Improvements since the Black Death in 1348
- There were some significant improvements in the 317 years between the Black Death and the Great Plague.
- People recognised the connection between dirt and disease.
- Local governments were more organised. Quarantine was more effective, bodies were collected and buried at least 6 foot deep in plague pits, trade stopped and communal gatherings were banned. The England-Scotland border was closed.
- People were locked in their houses to stop the disease spreading.
Understanding the Great Plague
Understanding the Great Plague
- Plague doctors wore special suits to protect them against “miasma”. They had masks stuffed with aromatic herbs to stop the “bad air” from reaching them.
- This was not based on correct science but luckily the suits probably helped to reduce the spread of the plague.
- Local governments and special suits helped to deal with the plague better, but nobody really understood why it had happened or what caused it.
1Medicine in Medieval England
1.1Ideas about the Cause of Disease & Illness
1.2Approaches to Prevention & Treatment
2The Medical Renaissance in England
2.1Ideas about the Cause of Disease & Illness
2.2Approaches to Prevention & Treatment
3Medicine in 18th & 19th Century Britain
3.1Ideas about the Cause of Disease & Illness
3.2Approaches to Prevention & Treatment
4Medicine in Modern Britain
4.1Modern Understanding of Disease
4.2Approaches to Prevention & Treatment
5Treatment in WW1
6Themes in Medicine
7Some Extra Context (Not Compulsory for Exam)
7.1Medieval Medicine
Jump to other topics
1Medicine in Medieval England
1.1Ideas about the Cause of Disease & Illness
1.2Approaches to Prevention & Treatment
2The Medical Renaissance in England
2.1Ideas about the Cause of Disease & Illness
2.2Approaches to Prevention & Treatment
3Medicine in 18th & 19th Century Britain
3.1Ideas about the Cause of Disease & Illness
3.2Approaches to Prevention & Treatment
4Medicine in Modern Britain
4.1Modern Understanding of Disease
4.2Approaches to Prevention & Treatment
5Treatment in WW1
6Themes in Medicine
7Some Extra Context (Not Compulsory for Exam)
7.1Medieval Medicine
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