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Rihana
05/12/2025
History
Medicine through time info
149
•
5 Dec 2025
•
The Evolution of Medicine Across Time
Rihana
@rev1so
1 / 7
Medieval Medicine: When Balance Was Everything
Back in the Middle Ages, doctors believed your health depended on balancing four liquids called humours in your body. This theory dominated medicine for over 1,400 years, so it's definitely worth understanding!
Hippocrates first came up with the four humours idea, whilst Galen later developed the theory of opposites - basically treating illnesses with their opposite qualities. Yellow bile was hot and dry (treated with cold, wet remedies), black bile was cold and dry, blood was hot and wet, and phlegm was cold and wet.
The treatments were pretty mental by today's standards. Got too much blood? Time for some bloodletting! Too much phlegm? Breathe in some steam. Medieval people also followed the Regimen Sanitatis - basically the world's first health advice guide recommending exercise, sleep, and clean air.
Did you know? Galen's medical theories lasted for 1,400 years without being seriously challenged - that's longer than the entire history of modern Britain!
Renaissance: When Medicine Started Getting Real
The Renaissance brought some game-changing innovations that finally started challenging those ancient ideas. The printing press was absolutely crucial - it meant medical theories could be spread widely, read by loads of people, and properly criticised for the first time.
Hospitals began focusing on actually treating patients rather than just caring for them, and pharmacies started popping up in towns everywhere. During the Great Plague, people finally started connecting dirt with disease, local governments got more involved, and quarantine became much more effective.
However, change was still painfully slow. Even when Harvey proved that bloodletting was useless, doctors kept doing it anyway! This shows how resistant the medical community was to new ideas, even when the evidence was staring them in the face.
Reality check: Those creepy plague doctor outfits actually worked - not because they stopped 'bad air' (miasma), but because they accidentally provided protection against the real cause!
Renaissance Rebels: The Men Who Rewrote Medicine
Three absolute legends completely transformed medical understanding during the Renaissance. Vesalius published The Fabric of the Human Body in 1543, packed with detailed illustrations that proved Galen had got human anatomy massively wrong - like thinking the jaw was two bones instead of one.
Harvey followed up in 1628 with his work on blood circulation, destroying the ridiculous idea that veins carried both blood and air around the body. He proved that blood circulates rather than being constantly made fresh in the liver.
Sydenham rounded things off in 1676 with Observationes Medicae, which doctors used for centuries. His careful descriptions of different illnesses and treatments became the gold standard for medical practice.
Top tip: Remember the dates - 1543, 1628, 1676 - they show the progression from anatomy to circulation to practical treatment!
Industrial Revolution: When Science Met Public Health
The Industrial period saw massive changes driven by both scientific breakthroughs and social pressure. Koch and Pasteur inspired a whole generation of 'microbe hunters' who revolutionised our understanding of disease through germ theory.
Key figures made incredible impacts on survival rates. Florence Nightingale dropped mortality in Crimea from 40% to 2% in just six months through better cleanliness and the pavilion plan for hospitals. Joseph Lister reduced surgical deaths from 50% to 15% in four years using carbolic acid as an antiseptic.
Government action finally kicked in thanks to events like the 1858 Great Stink, the 1842 Chadwick Report, and the 1867 Reform Act. This led to the First Public Health Act in 1848 and an even stronger Second Public Health Act in 1875.
Success story: Jenner's smallpox vaccine became compulsory in 1853 - the world's first mandatory vaccination programme!
Medical Training and Scientific Publishing
The College of Physicians, established in 1518, became the main training ground for British doctors and controlled who could get medical licenses. This created some standardisation, but also meant new ideas took ages to spread.
Medical knowledge advanced through key publications that shaped practice for generations. The Lancet became the go-to medical journal, whilst specific works like Jenner's An Inquiry into the Causes and Effects of the Variolae Vaccinae and Snow's On the Mode and Communication of Cholera spread revolutionary theories.
However, the smallpox vaccine had major limitations - it only worked against smallpox, many religious people opposed it, it didn't stop the disease spreading, and only wealthy people could afford it. This shows how even breakthrough treatments faced serious obstacles.
Key insight: Publishing medical theories in detail meant they could finally be properly tested and criticised - knowledge improved much faster!
Modern Medicine: Technology Transforms Everything
Since 1900, increased technology has completely revolutionised surgery and treatment. Anaesthetics made complex operations possible, whilst keyhole surgery, laser surgery, and robot-assisted surgery have made procedures safer and more precise.
Cancer treatment has advanced dramatically with radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and immuno-oncology. Early drug breakthroughs included Salvarsan 606 (1909) for syphilis and Prontosil (1932) for blood poisoning.
Government health policies have targeted major killers like lung cancer. Since 2007, the legal smoking age rose from 16 to 18, indoor smoking was banned, and smoking in cars with children became illegal. The National Insurance Act 1911 provided the first compulsory health insurance for workers earning under £160 per year.
Modern miracle: Robot-assisted surgery means smaller cuts, reduced infection risk, and faster recovery times - surgery's come a long way from medieval bloodletting!
WWI: Battlefield Medicine Saves Lives
The Western Front became a testing ground for emergency medical techniques that we still use today. The 1917 Battle of Cambrai saw the world's first 'blood bank' - collecting blood before battle rather than scrambling for it afterwards.
Medical challenges were enormous. By 1917-1918, trench fever left 15% of men unfit for duty, whilst an estimated 80,000 British troops suffered shellshock. Gas attacks killed around 90,000 people throughout the war.
Blood storage technology advanced rapidly with sodium citrate preventing clotting and citrate-glucose allowing longer storage. These innovations directly led to the blood banking systems that the NHS runs today.
War innovation: Many of today's emergency medical procedures were developed on WWI battlefields - trauma medicine advanced more in four years than in the previous century!
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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
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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
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Best app on earth! no words because it’s too good
Thomas R
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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
The Evolution of Medicine Across Time
Rihana
@rev1so
Ever wonder how doctors figured out what was wrong with people before X-rays and blood tests? The history of medicine is packed with bizarre theories, brilliant breakthroughs, and some pretty gruesome treatments that'll make you grateful for modern healthcare.
Medieval Medicine: When Balance Was Everything
Back in the Middle Ages, doctors believed your health depended on balancing four liquids called humours in your body. This theory dominated medicine for over 1,400 years, so it's definitely worth understanding!
Hippocrates first came up with the four humours idea, whilst Galen later developed the theory of opposites - basically treating illnesses with their opposite qualities. Yellow bile was hot and dry (treated with cold, wet remedies), black bile was cold and dry, blood was hot and wet, and phlegm was cold and wet.
The treatments were pretty mental by today's standards. Got too much blood? Time for some bloodletting! Too much phlegm? Breathe in some steam. Medieval people also followed the Regimen Sanitatis - basically the world's first health advice guide recommending exercise, sleep, and clean air.
Did you know? Galen's medical theories lasted for 1,400 years without being seriously challenged - that's longer than the entire history of modern Britain!
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Renaissance: When Medicine Started Getting Real
The Renaissance brought some game-changing innovations that finally started challenging those ancient ideas. The printing press was absolutely crucial - it meant medical theories could be spread widely, read by loads of people, and properly criticised for the first time.
Hospitals began focusing on actually treating patients rather than just caring for them, and pharmacies started popping up in towns everywhere. During the Great Plague, people finally started connecting dirt with disease, local governments got more involved, and quarantine became much more effective.
However, change was still painfully slow. Even when Harvey proved that bloodletting was useless, doctors kept doing it anyway! This shows how resistant the medical community was to new ideas, even when the evidence was staring them in the face.
Reality check: Those creepy plague doctor outfits actually worked - not because they stopped 'bad air' (miasma), but because they accidentally provided protection against the real cause!
Sign up to see the contentIt's free!
Access to all documents
Improve your grades
Join milions of students
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Renaissance Rebels: The Men Who Rewrote Medicine
Three absolute legends completely transformed medical understanding during the Renaissance. Vesalius published The Fabric of the Human Body in 1543, packed with detailed illustrations that proved Galen had got human anatomy massively wrong - like thinking the jaw was two bones instead of one.
Harvey followed up in 1628 with his work on blood circulation, destroying the ridiculous idea that veins carried both blood and air around the body. He proved that blood circulates rather than being constantly made fresh in the liver.
Sydenham rounded things off in 1676 with Observationes Medicae, which doctors used for centuries. His careful descriptions of different illnesses and treatments became the gold standard for medical practice.
Top tip: Remember the dates - 1543, 1628, 1676 - they show the progression from anatomy to circulation to practical treatment!
Sign up to see the contentIt's free!
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Improve your grades
Join milions of students
By signing up you accept Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
Industrial Revolution: When Science Met Public Health
The Industrial period saw massive changes driven by both scientific breakthroughs and social pressure. Koch and Pasteur inspired a whole generation of 'microbe hunters' who revolutionised our understanding of disease through germ theory.
Key figures made incredible impacts on survival rates. Florence Nightingale dropped mortality in Crimea from 40% to 2% in just six months through better cleanliness and the pavilion plan for hospitals. Joseph Lister reduced surgical deaths from 50% to 15% in four years using carbolic acid as an antiseptic.
Government action finally kicked in thanks to events like the 1858 Great Stink, the 1842 Chadwick Report, and the 1867 Reform Act. This led to the First Public Health Act in 1848 and an even stronger Second Public Health Act in 1875.
Success story: Jenner's smallpox vaccine became compulsory in 1853 - the world's first mandatory vaccination programme!
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
Medical Training and Scientific Publishing
The College of Physicians, established in 1518, became the main training ground for British doctors and controlled who could get medical licenses. This created some standardisation, but also meant new ideas took ages to spread.
Medical knowledge advanced through key publications that shaped practice for generations. The Lancet became the go-to medical journal, whilst specific works like Jenner's An Inquiry into the Causes and Effects of the Variolae Vaccinae and Snow's On the Mode and Communication of Cholera spread revolutionary theories.
However, the smallpox vaccine had major limitations - it only worked against smallpox, many religious people opposed it, it didn't stop the disease spreading, and only wealthy people could afford it. This shows how even breakthrough treatments faced serious obstacles.
Key insight: Publishing medical theories in detail meant they could finally be properly tested and criticised - knowledge improved much faster!
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
Modern Medicine: Technology Transforms Everything
Since 1900, increased technology has completely revolutionised surgery and treatment. Anaesthetics made complex operations possible, whilst keyhole surgery, laser surgery, and robot-assisted surgery have made procedures safer and more precise.
Cancer treatment has advanced dramatically with radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and immuno-oncology. Early drug breakthroughs included Salvarsan 606 (1909) for syphilis and Prontosil (1932) for blood poisoning.
Government health policies have targeted major killers like lung cancer. Since 2007, the legal smoking age rose from 16 to 18, indoor smoking was banned, and smoking in cars with children became illegal. The National Insurance Act 1911 provided the first compulsory health insurance for workers earning under £160 per year.
Modern miracle: Robot-assisted surgery means smaller cuts, reduced infection risk, and faster recovery times - surgery's come a long way from medieval bloodletting!
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
WWI: Battlefield Medicine Saves Lives
The Western Front became a testing ground for emergency medical techniques that we still use today. The 1917 Battle of Cambrai saw the world's first 'blood bank' - collecting blood before battle rather than scrambling for it afterwards.
Medical challenges were enormous. By 1917-1918, trench fever left 15% of men unfit for duty, whilst an estimated 80,000 British troops suffered shellshock. Gas attacks killed around 90,000 people throughout the war.
Blood storage technology advanced rapidly with sodium citrate preventing clotting and citrate-glucose allowing longer storage. These innovations directly led to the blood banking systems that the NHS runs today.
War innovation: Many of today's emergency medical procedures were developed on WWI battlefields - trauma medicine advanced more in four years than in the previous century!
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?
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Most popular content: Renaissance Medicine
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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