Medicine Becomes a Science: 1840-1999

Scientists did not know what made people sick more than 150 years ago. There were many theories of how and why illness spread, but none of them were accurate. Though very primitive microscopes had permitted the examination of bacteria as early as the 1660s, it was not until the mid-19th century that bacteria's contribution to the spread of illness was understood. It was during this time that surgeons routinely examined patients in the morning and then performed surgeries in the afternoon - without wearing gloves or washing their hands first. Physician Ignaz Semmelweis made the connection between the lack of cleanliness and the spread of infection, which eventually drove Scottish physician Joseph Lister to push for greater sanitation in hospitals. "Medicine Becomes a Science" provides readers with a solid grounding for understanding medicine today. Spanning 160 years, this new volume offers illuminating information about medical knowledge, describing the historic events, scientific principles, and technical breakthroughs that have led to rapid advancement in combating disease. During this period, scientists and physicians finally realized the cause of disease, and with this discovery, medical progress began to go forward. Examining the works of Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, Louis Pasteur, and Robert Koch, this book features a chronology, a glossary, and an array of historical and current sources for further research. The chapters include: Medical Science Finally Advances; Women and Modern Medicine; Science Moves Forward in Diagnosis and Treatment; Advances in Medications; An Answer to Polio and Other Changes in Medicine; More Changes Brought About by War; The Science of the Heart; and, DNA Changes the Medical Knowledge Base.