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1 Dec 2025
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Key Figures in the History of Medicine - Study Notes
sam
@samj0yce
1 / 4
Medieval Medicine: Ancient Ideas That Lasted Centuries
Ever wondered why medieval doctors thought your personality depended on your bodily fluids? Hippocrates started it all with his theory of the four humours - yellow bile, black bile, phlegm and blood. He believed good health meant keeping these balanced, which sounds mad now but made perfect sense back then.
Galen took Hippocrates' ideas further by developing the theory of opposites - treating illnesses with their opposite qualities. He also made crucial discoveries about anatomy by dissecting animals, proving the brain (not heart) controlled speech. His ideas dominated medicine for 1500 years because they fitted perfectly with Catholic Church teachings.
Not everyone just followed the rules though. John Arderne successfully treated anal abscesses and wrote groundbreaking surgical texts. He charged rich patients loads but treated poor people for free, which got him plenty of criticism from other doctors.
Key Point: Medieval medicine relied heavily on bleeding as the most common treatment - doctors literally thought draining blood would rebalance your humours!
Early Modern Period: Challenging the Old Masters
The early modern period saw brave doctors finally questioning Galen's ancient theories. Vesalius revolutionised human anatomy by actually dissecting human bodies (pretty shocking at the time!) and writing 'The Fabric of the Human Body'. He proved Galen wrong about basic facts - like humans having one jaw bone, not two.
Ambroise Paré became a legendary war surgeon who ran out of boiling oil for treating wounds and accidentally discovered gentler treatments worked better. He developed ligatures (tying blood vessels) and created artificial limbs for injured soldiers.
William Harvey made perhaps the biggest breakthrough by proving blood circulation - that blood flows one way around the body through the heart. This completely destroyed Galen's theory that the liver made new blood constantly.
Edward Jenner discovered the world's first vaccination after noticing milkmaids who caught cowpox never got smallpox. Despite initial opposition (people thought vaccines were dangerous), his work eventually became compulsory by 1853.
Key Point: These pioneers faced massive criticism because they dared to challenge Galen's theories that had dominated medicine for over a millennium!
19th Century: The Germ Theory Revolution
The 1800s brought medicine's biggest breakthrough - understanding what actually causes disease. Louis Pasteur developed germ theory in 1861, proving that tiny organisms called germs spread disease, not bad air or mysterious forces.
Robert Koch became known as the "microbe hunter" and father of bacteriology. He identified specific microbes for anthrax, cholera and tuberculosis, becoming the first person to link particular germs to specific diseases. His innovative methods using agar jelly and photography revolutionised how scientists studied bacteria.
Surgery became much safer thanks to Joseph Lister's carbolic spray antiseptic. After reading Pasteur's work, he sprayed everything during operations, dropping death rates from 50% to 15%. Meanwhile, James Simpson discovered chloroform as an anaesthetic, though this initially caused more deaths from infection.
Paul Ehrlich created the first "magic bullet" - Salvarsan 606 - specifically designed to kill syphilis bacteria. His team tested 606 different compounds before finding one that worked, curing over 10,000 people within three years.
Key Point: Germ theory changed everything - doctors finally understood that disease came from microscopic organisms, not mystical imbalances!
20th Century: Antibiotics and the Welfare State
The 1900s brought medicine's greatest life-saver: antibiotics. Alexander Fleming accidentally discovered penicillin when mould killed bacteria in his petri dish. Florey and Chain developed his work, and by World War Two, penicillin was saving hundreds of thousands of soldiers' lives.
Social reform became as important as medical breakthroughs. Seebohm Rowntree studied York's living conditions in 1901, revealing that over half the working class lived below his newly invented "poverty line". Charles Booth discovered 35% of Londoners couldn't afford proper food, linking poverty directly to high death rates.
These shocking discoveries led to massive government action. William Beveridge published his famous 1942 report (600,000 copies sold!) proposing a welfare state supporting people "from cradle to grave". This revolutionary idea led directly to the National Insurance Act of 1948 and the creation of our NHS.
The 20th century proved that improving health wasn't just about new medicines - it required tackling poverty, poor housing, and ensuring everyone could access healthcare regardless of wealth.
Key Point: The NHS emerged because reformers proved that poverty and poor living conditions were literally killing people - healthcare became a right, not a privilege!
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The app is very easy to use and well designed. I have found everything I was looking for so far and have been able to learn a lot from the presentations! I will definitely use the app for a class assignment! And of course it also helps a lot as an inspiration.
Stefan S
iOS user
This app is really great. There are so many study notes and help [...]. My problem subject is French, for example, and the app has so many options for help. Thanks to this app, I have improved my French. I would recommend it to anyone.
Samantha Klich
Android user
Wow, I am really amazed. I just tried the app because I've seen it advertised many times and was absolutely stunned. This app is THE HELP you want for school and above all, it offers so many things, such as workouts and fact sheets, which have been VERY helpful to me personally.
Anna
iOS user
Best app on earth! no words because it’s too good
Thomas R
iOS user
Just amazing. Let's me revise 10x better, this app is a quick 10/10. I highly recommend it to anyone. I can watch and search for notes. I can save them in the subject folder. I can revise it any time when I come back. If you haven't tried this app, you're really missing out.
Basil
Android user
This app has made me feel so much more confident in my exam prep, not only through boosting my own self confidence through the features that allow you to connect with others and feel less alone, but also through the way the app itself is centred around making you feel better. It is easy to navigate, fun to use, and helpful to anyone struggling in absolutely any way.
David K
iOS user
The app's just great! All I have to do is enter the topic in the search bar and I get the response real fast. I don't have to watch 10 YouTube videos to understand something, so I'm saving my time. Highly recommended!
Sudenaz Ocak
Android user
In school I was really bad at maths but thanks to the app, I am doing better now. I am so grateful that you made the app.
Greenlight Bonnie
Android user
very reliable app to help and grow your ideas of Maths, English and other related topics in your works. please use this app if your struggling in areas, this app is key for that. wish I'd of done a review before. and it's also free so don't worry about that.
Rohan U
Android user
I know a lot of apps use fake accounts to boost their reviews but this app deserves it all. Originally I was getting 4 in my English exams and this time I got a grade 7. I didn’t even know about this app three days until the exam and it has helped A LOT. Please actually trust me and use it as I’m sure you too will see developments.
Xander S
iOS user
THE QUIZES AND FLASHCARDS ARE SO USEFUL AND I LOVE THE SCHOOLGPT. IT ALSO IS LITREALLY LIKE CHATGPT BUT SMARTER!! HELPED ME WITH MY MASCARA PROBLEMS TOO!! AS WELL AS MY REAL SUBJECTS ! DUHHH 😍😁😲🤑💗✨🎀😮
Elisha
iOS user
This apps acc the goat. I find revision so boring but this app makes it so easy to organize it all and then you can ask the freeeee ai to test yourself so good and you can easily upload your own stuff. highly recommend as someone taking mocks now
Paul T
iOS user
The app is very easy to use and well designed. I have found everything I was looking for so far and have been able to learn a lot from the presentations! I will definitely use the app for a class assignment! And of course it also helps a lot as an inspiration.
Stefan S
iOS user
This app is really great. There are so many study notes and help [...]. My problem subject is French, for example, and the app has so many options for help. Thanks to this app, I have improved my French. I would recommend it to anyone.
Samantha Klich
Android user
Wow, I am really amazed. I just tried the app because I've seen it advertised many times and was absolutely stunned. This app is THE HELP you want for school and above all, it offers so many things, such as workouts and fact sheets, which have been VERY helpful to me personally.
Anna
iOS user
Best app on earth! no words because it’s too good
Thomas R
iOS user
Just amazing. Let's me revise 10x better, this app is a quick 10/10. I highly recommend it to anyone. I can watch and search for notes. I can save them in the subject folder. I can revise it any time when I come back. If you haven't tried this app, you're really missing out.
Basil
Android user
This app has made me feel so much more confident in my exam prep, not only through boosting my own self confidence through the features that allow you to connect with others and feel less alone, but also through the way the app itself is centred around making you feel better. It is easy to navigate, fun to use, and helpful to anyone struggling in absolutely any way.
David K
iOS user
The app's just great! All I have to do is enter the topic in the search bar and I get the response real fast. I don't have to watch 10 YouTube videos to understand something, so I'm saving my time. Highly recommended!
Sudenaz Ocak
Android user
In school I was really bad at maths but thanks to the app, I am doing better now. I am so grateful that you made the app.
Greenlight Bonnie
Android user
very reliable app to help and grow your ideas of Maths, English and other related topics in your works. please use this app if your struggling in areas, this app is key for that. wish I'd of done a review before. and it's also free so don't worry about that.
Rohan U
Android user
I know a lot of apps use fake accounts to boost their reviews but this app deserves it all. Originally I was getting 4 in my English exams and this time I got a grade 7. I didn’t even know about this app three days until the exam and it has helped A LOT. Please actually trust me and use it as I’m sure you too will see developments.
Xander S
iOS user
THE QUIZES AND FLASHCARDS ARE SO USEFUL AND I LOVE THE SCHOOLGPT. IT ALSO IS LITREALLY LIKE CHATGPT BUT SMARTER!! HELPED ME WITH MY MASCARA PROBLEMS TOO!! AS WELL AS MY REAL SUBJECTS ! DUHHH 😍😁😲🤑💗✨🎀😮
Elisha
iOS user
This apps acc the goat. I find revision so boring but this app makes it so easy to organize it all and then you can ask the freeeee ai to test yourself so good and you can easily upload your own stuff. highly recommend as someone taking mocks now
Paul T
iOS user
Key Figures in the History of Medicine - Study Notes
sam
@samj0yce
From ancient Greece to modern times, medicine has evolved through brilliant individuals who challenged old ideas and made groundbreaking discoveries. You'll discover how doctors went from believing in mysterious "humours" to understanding germs, developing life-saving vaccines, and creating the NHS... Show more
Medieval Medicine: Ancient Ideas That Lasted Centuries
Ever wondered why medieval doctors thought your personality depended on your bodily fluids? Hippocrates started it all with his theory of the four humours - yellow bile, black bile, phlegm and blood. He believed good health meant keeping these balanced, which sounds mad now but made perfect sense back then.
Galen took Hippocrates' ideas further by developing the theory of opposites - treating illnesses with their opposite qualities. He also made crucial discoveries about anatomy by dissecting animals, proving the brain (not heart) controlled speech. His ideas dominated medicine for 1500 years because they fitted perfectly with Catholic Church teachings.
Not everyone just followed the rules though. John Arderne successfully treated anal abscesses and wrote groundbreaking surgical texts. He charged rich patients loads but treated poor people for free, which got him plenty of criticism from other doctors.
Key Point: Medieval medicine relied heavily on bleeding as the most common treatment - doctors literally thought draining blood would rebalance your humours!
Sign up to see the contentIt's free!
Access to all documents
Improve your grades
Join milions of students
By signing up you accept Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
Early Modern Period: Challenging the Old Masters
The early modern period saw brave doctors finally questioning Galen's ancient theories. Vesalius revolutionised human anatomy by actually dissecting human bodies (pretty shocking at the time!) and writing 'The Fabric of the Human Body'. He proved Galen wrong about basic facts - like humans having one jaw bone, not two.
Ambroise Paré became a legendary war surgeon who ran out of boiling oil for treating wounds and accidentally discovered gentler treatments worked better. He developed ligatures (tying blood vessels) and created artificial limbs for injured soldiers.
William Harvey made perhaps the biggest breakthrough by proving blood circulation - that blood flows one way around the body through the heart. This completely destroyed Galen's theory that the liver made new blood constantly.
Edward Jenner discovered the world's first vaccination after noticing milkmaids who caught cowpox never got smallpox. Despite initial opposition (people thought vaccines were dangerous), his work eventually became compulsory by 1853.
Key Point: These pioneers faced massive criticism because they dared to challenge Galen's theories that had dominated medicine for over a millennium!
Sign up to see the contentIt's free!
Access to all documents
Improve your grades
Join milions of students
By signing up you accept Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
19th Century: The Germ Theory Revolution
The 1800s brought medicine's biggest breakthrough - understanding what actually causes disease. Louis Pasteur developed germ theory in 1861, proving that tiny organisms called germs spread disease, not bad air or mysterious forces.
Robert Koch became known as the "microbe hunter" and father of bacteriology. He identified specific microbes for anthrax, cholera and tuberculosis, becoming the first person to link particular germs to specific diseases. His innovative methods using agar jelly and photography revolutionised how scientists studied bacteria.
Surgery became much safer thanks to Joseph Lister's carbolic spray antiseptic. After reading Pasteur's work, he sprayed everything during operations, dropping death rates from 50% to 15%. Meanwhile, James Simpson discovered chloroform as an anaesthetic, though this initially caused more deaths from infection.
Paul Ehrlich created the first "magic bullet" - Salvarsan 606 - specifically designed to kill syphilis bacteria. His team tested 606 different compounds before finding one that worked, curing over 10,000 people within three years.
Key Point: Germ theory changed everything - doctors finally understood that disease came from microscopic organisms, not mystical imbalances!
Sign up to see the contentIt's free!
Access to all documents
Improve your grades
Join milions of students
By signing up you accept Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
20th Century: Antibiotics and the Welfare State
The 1900s brought medicine's greatest life-saver: antibiotics. Alexander Fleming accidentally discovered penicillin when mould killed bacteria in his petri dish. Florey and Chain developed his work, and by World War Two, penicillin was saving hundreds of thousands of soldiers' lives.
Social reform became as important as medical breakthroughs. Seebohm Rowntree studied York's living conditions in 1901, revealing that over half the working class lived below his newly invented "poverty line". Charles Booth discovered 35% of Londoners couldn't afford proper food, linking poverty directly to high death rates.
These shocking discoveries led to massive government action. William Beveridge published his famous 1942 report (600,000 copies sold!) proposing a welfare state supporting people "from cradle to grave". This revolutionary idea led directly to the National Insurance Act of 1948 and the creation of our NHS.
The 20th century proved that improving health wasn't just about new medicines - it required tackling poverty, poor housing, and ensuring everyone could access healthcare regardless of wealth.
Key Point: The NHS emerged because reformers proved that poverty and poor living conditions were literally killing people - healthcare became a right, not a privilege!
We thought you’d never ask...
What is the Knowunity AI companion?
Our AI Companion is a student-focused AI tool that offers more than just answers. Built on millions of Knowunity resources, it provides relevant information, personalised study plans, quizzes, and content directly in the chat, adapting to your individual learning journey.
Where can I download the Knowunity app?
You can download the app from Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
Is Knowunity really free of charge?
That's right! Enjoy free access to study content, connect with fellow students, and get instant help – all at your fingertips.
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Most popular content in History
Most popular content
English - inspector calls quotes and analysis
Quotes from every main character
English Literature10
Can't find what you're looking for? Explore other subjects.
Students love us — and so will you.
4.9/5
App Store
4.8/5
Google Play
The app is very easy to use and well designed. I have found everything I was looking for so far and have been able to learn a lot from the presentations! I will definitely use the app for a class assignment! And of course it also helps a lot as an inspiration.
Stefan S
iOS user
This app is really great. There are so many study notes and help [...]. My problem subject is French, for example, and the app has so many options for help. Thanks to this app, I have improved my French. I would recommend it to anyone.
Samantha Klich
Android user
Wow, I am really amazed. I just tried the app because I've seen it advertised many times and was absolutely stunned. This app is THE HELP you want for school and above all, it offers so many things, such as workouts and fact sheets, which have been VERY helpful to me personally.
Anna
iOS user
Best app on earth! no words because it’s too good
Thomas R
iOS user
Just amazing. Let's me revise 10x better, this app is a quick 10/10. I highly recommend it to anyone. I can watch and search for notes. I can save them in the subject folder. I can revise it any time when I come back. If you haven't tried this app, you're really missing out.
Basil
Android user
This app has made me feel so much more confident in my exam prep, not only through boosting my own self confidence through the features that allow you to connect with others and feel less alone, but also through the way the app itself is centred around making you feel better. It is easy to navigate, fun to use, and helpful to anyone struggling in absolutely any way.
David K
iOS user
The app's just great! All I have to do is enter the topic in the search bar and I get the response real fast. I don't have to watch 10 YouTube videos to understand something, so I'm saving my time. Highly recommended!
Sudenaz Ocak
Android user
In school I was really bad at maths but thanks to the app, I am doing better now. I am so grateful that you made the app.
Greenlight Bonnie
Android user
very reliable app to help and grow your ideas of Maths, English and other related topics in your works. please use this app if your struggling in areas, this app is key for that. wish I'd of done a review before. and it's also free so don't worry about that.
Rohan U
Android user
I know a lot of apps use fake accounts to boost their reviews but this app deserves it all. Originally I was getting 4 in my English exams and this time I got a grade 7. I didn’t even know about this app three days until the exam and it has helped A LOT. Please actually trust me and use it as I’m sure you too will see developments.
Xander S
iOS user
THE QUIZES AND FLASHCARDS ARE SO USEFUL AND I LOVE THE SCHOOLGPT. IT ALSO IS LITREALLY LIKE CHATGPT BUT SMARTER!! HELPED ME WITH MY MASCARA PROBLEMS TOO!! AS WELL AS MY REAL SUBJECTS ! DUHHH 😍😁😲🤑💗✨🎀😮
Elisha
iOS user
This apps acc the goat. I find revision so boring but this app makes it so easy to organize it all and then you can ask the freeeee ai to test yourself so good and you can easily upload your own stuff. highly recommend as someone taking mocks now
Paul T
iOS user
The app is very easy to use and well designed. I have found everything I was looking for so far and have been able to learn a lot from the presentations! I will definitely use the app for a class assignment! And of course it also helps a lot as an inspiration.
Stefan S
iOS user
This app is really great. There are so many study notes and help [...]. My problem subject is French, for example, and the app has so many options for help. Thanks to this app, I have improved my French. I would recommend it to anyone.
Samantha Klich
Android user
Wow, I am really amazed. I just tried the app because I've seen it advertised many times and was absolutely stunned. This app is THE HELP you want for school and above all, it offers so many things, such as workouts and fact sheets, which have been VERY helpful to me personally.
Anna
iOS user
Best app on earth! no words because it’s too good
Thomas R
iOS user
Just amazing. Let's me revise 10x better, this app is a quick 10/10. I highly recommend it to anyone. I can watch and search for notes. I can save them in the subject folder. I can revise it any time when I come back. If you haven't tried this app, you're really missing out.
Basil
Android user
This app has made me feel so much more confident in my exam prep, not only through boosting my own self confidence through the features that allow you to connect with others and feel less alone, but also through the way the app itself is centred around making you feel better. It is easy to navigate, fun to use, and helpful to anyone struggling in absolutely any way.
David K
iOS user
The app's just great! All I have to do is enter the topic in the search bar and I get the response real fast. I don't have to watch 10 YouTube videos to understand something, so I'm saving my time. Highly recommended!
Sudenaz Ocak
Android user
In school I was really bad at maths but thanks to the app, I am doing better now. I am so grateful that you made the app.
Greenlight Bonnie
Android user
very reliable app to help and grow your ideas of Maths, English and other related topics in your works. please use this app if your struggling in areas, this app is key for that. wish I'd of done a review before. and it's also free so don't worry about that.
Rohan U
Android user
I know a lot of apps use fake accounts to boost their reviews but this app deserves it all. Originally I was getting 4 in my English exams and this time I got a grade 7. I didn’t even know about this app three days until the exam and it has helped A LOT. Please actually trust me and use it as I’m sure you too will see developments.
Xander S
iOS user
THE QUIZES AND FLASHCARDS ARE SO USEFUL AND I LOVE THE SCHOOLGPT. IT ALSO IS LITREALLY LIKE CHATGPT BUT SMARTER!! HELPED ME WITH MY MASCARA PROBLEMS TOO!! AS WELL AS MY REAL SUBJECTS ! DUHHH 😍😁😲🤑💗✨🎀😮
Elisha
iOS user
This apps acc the goat. I find revision so boring but this app makes it so easy to organize it all and then you can ask the freeeee ai to test yourself so good and you can easily upload your own stuff. highly recommend as someone taking mocks now
Paul T
iOS user