Helena Chung
9/22/2016
9/22/2016
Medical advancements made during the Industrial Revolution are vital to modern medicine. The many discoveries made in this time of change greatly affected the way of life and continue to do so. Findings such as germs and anesthesia are still hugely important and have contributed to many medical findings today. However, not all of the changes improved the quality of life for all people that they affected. Some progress caused conditions to worsen for specific groups of people while improving the lives of others.
Major Medical Advances
One of the most critical inventions created during the Industrial Revolution was the smallpox vaccination. It was introduced by Edward Jenner, after conducting research based on the observation that those who had previously had cowpox would not be infected with smallpox. The smallpox vaccine was the first successful vaccine to be developed and was introduced in 1796.
Before anesthetics, alcohol and opium were sometimes used as painkillers, although they were rather ineffective. Ether was discovered to have anesthetic properties by Humphrey Davy in 1799, however, the idea was not put into practice for several decades thereafter. American dentist Henry H. Morgan began using ether for pain relief in 1846. Surgeons began using ether for their practice in the same year. James Simpson, Professor of Midwifery at Edinburgh University, used chloroform in 1847. The idea was heavily criticized initially, but gained approval when Queen Victoria insisted on using it during the birth of her eighth child, as no one dared to criticize her.
Joseph Lister discovered antiseptic surgery in 1865, enabling surgeons to perform several much more complicated operations. Infections were prevented by spraying carbolic acid over the patient during surgical procedures. German surgeons further developed the idea by sterilizing their hands and clothes before performing operations, as well as sterilizing surgical instruments with super-heated steam.
in 1851, Herman von Helmholtz invented the ophthalmoscope. Shortly after, in 1531, the hypodermic syringe was invented. Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen, a German physics professor, studied electromagnetic radiation in a wavelength range: x-rays. Aspirin was invented in 1899. Juice from the bark of a willow tree was used before aspirin, but proved to not be sufficiently effective. Felix Hoffman synthesized acetysalicylic acid (ASA) and marketed the substance as aspirin. The first successful blood transfusion was performed by a British obstetrician, James Blundell, who transfused human blood to a patient who had hemorrhaged during childbirth. The first human blood groups were discovered by Karl Landsteiner, an Austrian physician, in 1901, making blood transfusions much safer. Wars with Crimea and France caused surgeries and nursing care to advance.
Before anesthetics, alcohol and opium were sometimes used as painkillers, although they were rather ineffective. Ether was discovered to have anesthetic properties by Humphrey Davy in 1799, however, the idea was not put into practice for several decades thereafter. American dentist Henry H. Morgan began using ether for pain relief in 1846. Surgeons began using ether for their practice in the same year. James Simpson, Professor of Midwifery at Edinburgh University, used chloroform in 1847. The idea was heavily criticized initially, but gained approval when Queen Victoria insisted on using it during the birth of her eighth child, as no one dared to criticize her.
Joseph Lister discovered antiseptic surgery in 1865, enabling surgeons to perform several much more complicated operations. Infections were prevented by spraying carbolic acid over the patient during surgical procedures. German surgeons further developed the idea by sterilizing their hands and clothes before performing operations, as well as sterilizing surgical instruments with super-heated steam.
in 1851, Herman von Helmholtz invented the ophthalmoscope. Shortly after, in 1531, the hypodermic syringe was invented. Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen, a German physics professor, studied electromagnetic radiation in a wavelength range: x-rays. Aspirin was invented in 1899. Juice from the bark of a willow tree was used before aspirin, but proved to not be sufficiently effective. Felix Hoffman synthesized acetysalicylic acid (ASA) and marketed the substance as aspirin. The first successful blood transfusion was performed by a British obstetrician, James Blundell, who transfused human blood to a patient who had hemorrhaged during childbirth. The first human blood groups were discovered by Karl Landsteiner, an Austrian physician, in 1901, making blood transfusions much safer. Wars with Crimea and France caused surgeries and nursing care to advance.
Health Before and After the Industrial Revolution
Before the Industrial Revolution, the causes of disease were not understood. Cures were based off of superstitions and old wive's tales, and those who suffered serious injuries had very low chances of survival. Very few people could afford healthcare and relied on herbal medicine and basic cures that were not adequate for many of the ailments that they were meant to treat.
Cholera, one of the most greatly feared diseases, was spread with speed and devastating consequences due to it being caused by contaminated water. Industrial Britain was hit by several outbreaks of cholera during the Industrial Revolution, the cause being that sewage was allowed to come into contact with drinking water and thereby contaminate it. The disease spread with ease due to the fact that many people used the river as their source of drinking water.
The greatest killer in industrial cities was tuberculosis. The disease caused the body to waste away as the lungs were attacked. This would cause the lungs to attempt to defend themselves by producing tubercles. The disease turns these tubercles to a yellow and spongy material which will then be spat out by the victim during coughing fits. Tuberculosis was contracted by those who were undernourished and underfed, as well as affecting those who lived in dirty and damp homes. It could even be spread by breathing in exhaled sputum of someone who was infected with the disease. With the tenements being as crowded as they were, a single infected person could easily and quickly spread the disease.
Surgery was one of the most-feared medical procedures, as it was performed in the absence of any painkiller and was, as well, highly rudimentary. The risk of infection was high, and surgical procedures were traumatic as well as commonly fatal. With this contributing factor, surgery was restricted to a limited extent apart from times of war.
The major feature that changed during the Industrial Revolution was the idea of diseases being spread by germs. Before the Industrial Revolution, the miasma theory was assumed to be true by the general public. The miasma theory stated that diseases such as cholera and the Black Death were caused by a miasma, "bad air", and one could contract the diseases by breathing in the bad air. It was also believed that micro-organisms that could be found in rotting matter were generated by the chemical process of decay.
Louis Pasteur's discoveries of germs caused a major breakthrough. Pasteur was a French scientist who after training as a chemist in Paris, developed an interest in biology. He used newly-invented microscopes to study micro-organisms. After moving to Lille University, which was in the heart of an industrial area, he specialized in fermentation. His investigation of the cause of fermentation of beer proved that the beer would ferment because of a particular micro-organism in the beer, which he named germs, because they were germinating (growing).
The discovery of germs proved to be vital as, using this knowledge, more vaccinations were created to combat diseases such as diphtheria, and the water supply was treated, which lowered the risk of cholera and other diseases that were caused by contaminated water.
By the end of the Industrial Revolution, the risk of catching any of the former major diseases had been brought down, as well as prevention for several of the ailments. This included a typhoid vaccine, which was created in 1869 by Almroth Wright. Many diseases that had been considered serious had been reduced to smaller issues, and surgery had been made a much safer procedure.
Cholera, one of the most greatly feared diseases, was spread with speed and devastating consequences due to it being caused by contaminated water. Industrial Britain was hit by several outbreaks of cholera during the Industrial Revolution, the cause being that sewage was allowed to come into contact with drinking water and thereby contaminate it. The disease spread with ease due to the fact that many people used the river as their source of drinking water.
The greatest killer in industrial cities was tuberculosis. The disease caused the body to waste away as the lungs were attacked. This would cause the lungs to attempt to defend themselves by producing tubercles. The disease turns these tubercles to a yellow and spongy material which will then be spat out by the victim during coughing fits. Tuberculosis was contracted by those who were undernourished and underfed, as well as affecting those who lived in dirty and damp homes. It could even be spread by breathing in exhaled sputum of someone who was infected with the disease. With the tenements being as crowded as they were, a single infected person could easily and quickly spread the disease.
Surgery was one of the most-feared medical procedures, as it was performed in the absence of any painkiller and was, as well, highly rudimentary. The risk of infection was high, and surgical procedures were traumatic as well as commonly fatal. With this contributing factor, surgery was restricted to a limited extent apart from times of war.
The major feature that changed during the Industrial Revolution was the idea of diseases being spread by germs. Before the Industrial Revolution, the miasma theory was assumed to be true by the general public. The miasma theory stated that diseases such as cholera and the Black Death were caused by a miasma, "bad air", and one could contract the diseases by breathing in the bad air. It was also believed that micro-organisms that could be found in rotting matter were generated by the chemical process of decay.
Louis Pasteur's discoveries of germs caused a major breakthrough. Pasteur was a French scientist who after training as a chemist in Paris, developed an interest in biology. He used newly-invented microscopes to study micro-organisms. After moving to Lille University, which was in the heart of an industrial area, he specialized in fermentation. His investigation of the cause of fermentation of beer proved that the beer would ferment because of a particular micro-organism in the beer, which he named germs, because they were germinating (growing).
The discovery of germs proved to be vital as, using this knowledge, more vaccinations were created to combat diseases such as diphtheria, and the water supply was treated, which lowered the risk of cholera and other diseases that were caused by contaminated water.
By the end of the Industrial Revolution, the risk of catching any of the former major diseases had been brought down, as well as prevention for several of the ailments. This included a typhoid vaccine, which was created in 1869 by Almroth Wright. Many diseases that had been considered serious had been reduced to smaller issues, and surgery had been made a much safer procedure.
Effects on Different Societal Groups
Medical advancements had mostly positive impacts in the greater span of things, such as prolonging the average life expectancy and giving the general public greater knowledge of how to be generally sanitary. Medical advancements made during the Industrial Revolution continue to aid in medicine to the present day.
However, the only reason for so many new diseases and medical problems to have arisen is the heavy industrialization. New inventions brought the need for different surgical procedures. Medicine remained too expensive for most citizens except aristocrats and the likes, and most of the peasants were forced to turn to mostly ineffective remedies that were majorly placebos, even after the inventions of far more complex medicines. Interestingly, the general life expectancy changed from 35-40 years to 45-50, proving that advancements in medicine had indeed had a positive impact on life.
For those who they could reach, vaccines replaced inoculation, which was giving a mild dose of smallpox to a patient to grant them long-term immunity to the disease. This could in some cases be effective, but also sometimes resulted in some victims contracting the full disease, which could kill or scar them. Vaccinations were far more practical and reliable, and therefore were an improvement. However, they did not originally extend to all members of society, instead, they were available only to the rich. This eventually changed and vaccinations became available to more people.
Industrialization caused many more people to migrate from rural areas to towns in order to find work, which resulted in overcrowding and hastily-constructed, low-quality housing. Overcrowding, lack of sanitation, lack of clean water supply, damp housing, poor diet, pollution, and long working hours in unsafe conditions weakened the workers' immune systems and gave them a higher chance of contracting diseases. In these conditions, a mild attack of flu could prove fatal.
Nevertheless, improved methods of communication allowed ideas to be exchanged over greater distances, allowing more minds to work together even without gathering to discuss their thoughts. New factories could also produce more sophisticated medical implements, including fine syringe needles and powerful lenses for microscopes. Scientific advances allowed doctors to change their perspective and look beyond Galen's ideas to find scientific causes for diseases. The general cause for the increased population was better healthcare for the population, which led to fewer infancy deaths.
I believe that the medical advancements made during the Industrial Revolution changed the world for the better. Although it is debatable that at the time, the inventions presented some problems, especially to lower-class citizens, the modern world would not have been able to progress into what it is without many of these discoveries. Most of all medicines currently used were either developed during the Industrial Revolution or are derived from inventions created in that time. Therefore, despite seeming problematic at the time, the medical advancements made during the Industrial Revolution did, in the long term, have a positive impact on society.
However, the only reason for so many new diseases and medical problems to have arisen is the heavy industrialization. New inventions brought the need for different surgical procedures. Medicine remained too expensive for most citizens except aristocrats and the likes, and most of the peasants were forced to turn to mostly ineffective remedies that were majorly placebos, even after the inventions of far more complex medicines. Interestingly, the general life expectancy changed from 35-40 years to 45-50, proving that advancements in medicine had indeed had a positive impact on life.
For those who they could reach, vaccines replaced inoculation, which was giving a mild dose of smallpox to a patient to grant them long-term immunity to the disease. This could in some cases be effective, but also sometimes resulted in some victims contracting the full disease, which could kill or scar them. Vaccinations were far more practical and reliable, and therefore were an improvement. However, they did not originally extend to all members of society, instead, they were available only to the rich. This eventually changed and vaccinations became available to more people.
Industrialization caused many more people to migrate from rural areas to towns in order to find work, which resulted in overcrowding and hastily-constructed, low-quality housing. Overcrowding, lack of sanitation, lack of clean water supply, damp housing, poor diet, pollution, and long working hours in unsafe conditions weakened the workers' immune systems and gave them a higher chance of contracting diseases. In these conditions, a mild attack of flu could prove fatal.
Nevertheless, improved methods of communication allowed ideas to be exchanged over greater distances, allowing more minds to work together even without gathering to discuss their thoughts. New factories could also produce more sophisticated medical implements, including fine syringe needles and powerful lenses for microscopes. Scientific advances allowed doctors to change their perspective and look beyond Galen's ideas to find scientific causes for diseases. The general cause for the increased population was better healthcare for the population, which led to fewer infancy deaths.
I believe that the medical advancements made during the Industrial Revolution changed the world for the better. Although it is debatable that at the time, the inventions presented some problems, especially to lower-class citizens, the modern world would not have been able to progress into what it is without many of these discoveries. Most of all medicines currently used were either developed during the Industrial Revolution or are derived from inventions created in that time. Therefore, despite seeming problematic at the time, the medical advancements made during the Industrial Revolution did, in the long term, have a positive impact on society.
"Although we take it for granted, sanitation is a physical measure that has probably done more to increase human life span than any kind of drug or surgery."
- Deepak Chopra
- Deepak Chopra
WORKS CITED
Darlington, Robert. History Alive 9. Milton: John Wiley & Sons Australia, 2012. Print.
History.com Staff. "Industrial Revolution." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 2009. Web. 13 Sept. 2016. <http://www.history.com/topics/industrial-revolution>.
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Prior, Helen. "Medicine and the Industrial Revolution." Scribd. Scribd Inc, 2015. Web. 22 Sept. 2016. <https://www.scribd.com/doc/19348796/Medicine-and-the-Industrial-Revolution>.
Trueman, Chris. "Diseases in Industrial Cities in the Industrial Revolution - History Learning Site." History Learning Site. MooCow, Aug. 2014. Web. 22 Sept. 2016. <http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/britain-1700-to-1900/industrial-revolution/diseases-in-industrial-cities-in-the-industrial-revolution/>.
"Was There a Medical Revolution?." Medicine and the Industrial Revolution 8 (2004): 1-66. BoardWorks. Boardworks Ltd, 2004. Web. 22 Sept. 2016. <http://www.westfieldschoolsheffield.org.uk/media/faculty-humanities/Medicine_Industrial_Revolution.pdf>.
History.com Staff. "Industrial Revolution." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 2009. Web. 13 Sept. 2016. <http://www.history.com/topics/industrial-revolution>.
"Medical Advances during the Industrial Revolution." Medical Advances during the Industrial Revolution. Weebly, 2015. Web. 22 Sept. 2016. <http://medicaladvancesindustrial.weebly.com/>.
Prior, Helen. "Medicine and the Industrial Revolution." Scribd. Scribd Inc, 2015. Web. 22 Sept. 2016. <https://www.scribd.com/doc/19348796/Medicine-and-the-Industrial-Revolution>.
Trueman, Chris. "Diseases in Industrial Cities in the Industrial Revolution - History Learning Site." History Learning Site. MooCow, Aug. 2014. Web. 22 Sept. 2016. <http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/britain-1700-to-1900/industrial-revolution/diseases-in-industrial-cities-in-the-industrial-revolution/>.
"Was There a Medical Revolution?." Medicine and the Industrial Revolution 8 (2004): 1-66. BoardWorks. Boardworks Ltd, 2004. Web. 22 Sept. 2016. <http://www.westfieldschoolsheffield.org.uk/media/faculty-humanities/Medicine_Industrial_Revolution.pdf>.