The Advancement Of Medicine And Surgery

In 1854 Louis Pasteur became a professor of chemistry at Lille. Shortly after, he became interested in fermentation. This was very helpful since alcohol making was a huge industry there. His interest in fermentation resulted in Louis developing many other interests. “In 1857 he jumped around from chemistry, biology then to medicine (Miller, 2002).” In 1860 he discovered pasteurization to kill bacteria in many food and beverages. This made a huge impact on the world. With pasteurization there would now be fewer illnesses due to people ingesting bacteria and parasites.

Before the 18th century, medicine had not advanced beyond the practices of bloodletting and balancing the four humors of the body. These medical practices were not effective and did more harm than good. It was not until the Scientific Revolution that physicians slowly started to learn more about the human body and how functions. The numerous advancements of medicine in the 18th century and resulting benefits to European Society are reflected in the lack of medical practices before the 1700s, the creation of the smallpox vaccine, and improved techniques.

Over the course of the modern age, the human body was still a mystery waiting to be solved. The body contains secrets one can only hope to discover. Over the twentieth century, scientists tried to understand one of the most complex concepts in the biological field. DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid) was at the forefront of research. Several theories claimed to have solved the structural concept of DNA. However, it was not until Francis Crick and James D. Watson discovered the true structure, the double helix. However, many potential models of DNA had passed through the biology field until eventual lose of credibility. The past models would contain a fixed detail that would make the entire concept invalid. In James D. Watson book, The Double Helix, he illustrates his path amid incorrect theories until he reaches the model that is taught around the world today.

In the past, doctors have used old ways of writing prescriptions and keeping health records. The days of the doctor writing a prescription on a pad in handwriting only they can read are over. Also, electronic health records make accessing records a breeze. The doctor’s experience now is much easier now with implementations of virtual prescription, electronic health records, and the ability to speak with a doctor from the comfort of your own home. In the future, the experience will be made a lot easier by taking the human doctor out of the equation and providing a program that scans someone and comes up with a diagnosis within seconds.

“Long before the growth of modern medicine, before the wizardry of pharmaceutical drugs and the miraculous dexterity of surgery, men and women were seeking the source of illness and the elixir of good health. (Smolan, Moffit, Naythons 9)”. Surgery has been in the world’s history for thousands of years. There have been many things in the past that have brought humans to where they are today in the medical field of surgery. Men and women of different ages and ethnicities have had many years of schooling and practice that help them in this difficult profession. Many lives have been saved from this constant practice and more are to be saved in the future. Surgery first started thousands of years ago, and has changed throughout the Middle Ages into

Lister “believed that sepsis was caused by a pollen like dust” (Cartwright) and his goal was to try to eliminate contact from the pollen like dust from surgery procedures. He learned from Louis Pasteur that this pollen like dust was micro-organisms and that they caused infections in patients. Lister decided that he was going to “eliminate contact of micro-organisms by exposing them to strong chemicals” (Cartwright). He ended up “finding a chemical called carbolic acid, which had been used to clean sewers and now was being used as a wound dressing to cover the wound and reduce the rate of infection” (Wilson). “In 1865, he tried the carbolic acid by putting it on a serious wound of a young boy, and in six weeks, he was completely healed because there was no infection” (The Famous People). This result led to Lister instructing other surgeons to wash their hands and instruments with carbolic acid to promote cleanliness and prevent infection. Due to this practice, “from 1865 to 1869, surgical mortality fell from 45 to 15 percent” (Cartwright and Biography.com Editors). This statistic clearly indicates that the carbolic acid helps prevent infection and mortality and that Lister was correct in his instructing of others to wash their hands and instruments frequently. Before Lister came up with this discovery, people believed that “infection was spread from bad air in the environment” (Hagy). Because people believed that infection was spread

At a time of improvements in society, the 20th century was a central time for scientific discoveries and enhancements. Specifically, medicine experiences a significant advancement during the 1900s. Starting out with the bare minimum, medical researchers invented life-changing technologies, which are continually used in the modern world. Without these developments, high death rates would remain prominent in society today and living conditions would still be in poor shape. Patient care, medical personnel treatment, and medical techniques greatly improved during the 1900s. Along with this, various drugs, vaccines, and procedures came into the medical field and saved many patients’ lives.

There are many advancements in technology being made rapidly, and there soon may be a major change in the way we live our daily lives. In the medical field, many new things in technology are being tested to allow more affordable healthcare. With education, new ways of teaching are being used, and a more effective learning environment is in the process of development. Also, many new ways of transportation are being created to cut down on travel time. Lots of new technology is being created to enhance human life with more efficient tools and devices in mainly the fields of medicine, education, and transportation.

It all began with Joseph Lister a pioneer in antiseptic surgical approaches introduced new principles of cleanliness which transformed surgical practice in the late 1800s. We take it for granted that a surgeon will guard a patient 's safety by using aseptic methods. But this was not always the case, and until Lister introduced sterile surgery, a patient could undergo a procedure successfully only to die from a postoperative infection known as ‘ward fever’. Lister read about the experiments in fermentation conducted by French chemist Louis Pasteur and conducted his own experiments to conclude that micro-organisms were responsible for the infections in patients. He set about trying to find an effective method of eliminating the micro-organisms by exposing them to strong chemicals. After extensive experimentation, he found an effective antiseptic in carbolic acid. He treated the surgical instruments and wounds of patients with the chemical and discovered that when the solution was swabbed on

Louis Pasteur's discovery of the relationship between germ and disease was only the beginning to developping a permanent solution. The theory led to the realization that handwashing helps prevent the spread of disease and disinfection can eliminate germs. Disinfection and handwashing affected humanity because the rates of infectious disease began to decline and epidemics lasted for a shorter time spand and overall mortality decreased as a result. The introduction of the theory affected how humanity viewed the human body. People began to believe that dirt contained microorganisms and could cause an infection, which lead to bathing frequently. Alongside his discovery were his inventions, for example the machine used to screen and detect silkworm eggs which saved the European silk industry and helped prevent silkworm

He was a surgeon who introduced new principles of cleanliness which transferred to surgical practices. Lister also made new ways to cure wounds on people and something that wouldn’t fail. After many attempts he found a way and was later named ¨father of modern surgery

One monumental advantage in any field of medicine is that as the years progress on, technology advances further and medicine changes for the greater good. Gina claims that hopefully in the next ten years, medicine in neurology will advance to the point that doctors will be finding cures for Alzheimer's and Parkinson’s disease. Consequently, with the new advancements in years to come, there is still a multitude of poorly treated and untreated diseases. This is a disadvantage if you are more on the empathic side. “It is sad to try to help and do your best to make sure the patient is getting better when there isn’t anything you can do. It’s tough being a doctor.” Gina quoted. Furthermore, doctors working in a private practice can set their own

Carbolic acid was a huge step forward for the future of surgery. It would eventually lead to the emergence of new sanitary options. Carbolic acid is the first of many chemical agents that are used to kill germs. In an effort to help surgery be more sanitary, Joseph Lister published a book titled “Antiseptic Principle of the Practice of Surgery”. This would be a revolutionary book on cleanliness and sanitation. This book was read by surgeons all over the world. It shared with readers how to clean utensils, wash hands before doing a procedure, how to use chemical agents to kill germs, and how to sterilize a wound. After publishing the book, the mortality rates significantly dropped. Not only was he a published author, Joseph Lister also was a surgeon himself.

Beaver (2008) surgical patients commonly developed postoperative fever followed by purulent drainage from their incision, sepsis and often death. The introduction of the principles of antisepsis by Lister and acceptance of Pasteur's germ theory has led to decrease infection rates. The rationale behind it is the fact that this theory increasingly change the surgery from activity associated with infection and death

Louis Pasteur’s contributions to science has advanced scientific understanding and changed the direction and nature of scientific thinking. He was the founder of the science of microbiology and proved that most infectious diseases are caused by micro-organisms through experiments which he performed. Pasteur was extensively known through his “germ theory” and for the invention of the process of pasteurisation. He was also instrumental in developing the process of vaccination in a famous experiment with Anthrax. (Bellis, 2014)