Survey
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
Joseph Lister – Antiseptics For British surgeon, Joseph Lister, septic sores held endless fascination. Lister disagreed with the accepted view that sepsis was the result of noxious air. Inspired by Pasteur’s work, Lister correctly hypothesised that it was in fact micro-organisms in the environment that were causing wounds to decompose. Lister had heard about a substance known as ‘carbolic acid’, used successfully to disinfect sewage works. He predicted that the substance could be used to clean wounds and sterilise surgical equipment. Lister’s antiseptic techniques were soon universally adopted, in fact the mouthwash, Listerine®, is named after him! ONLINE PHOTOCOPIABLE 1 WORDS © CHRISTINA BAKER, WRITER, TEACHER AND EDUCATIONAL JOURNALIST; ILLUSTRATIONS © MORENO CHIACCHIERA/BEEHIVE ILLUSTRATION WORDS © CHRISTINA BAKER, WRITER, TEACHER AND EDUCATIONAL JOURNALIST; ILLUSTRATIONS © MORENO CHIACCHIERA/BEEHIVE ILLUSTRATION WORDS © CHRISTINA BAKER, WRITER, TEACHER AND EDUCATIONAL JOURNALIST; ILLUSTRATIONS © MORENO CHIACCHIERA/BEEHIVE ILLUSTRATION WORDS © CHRISTINA BAKER, WRITER, TEACHER AND EDUCATIONAL JOURNALIST; ILLUSTRATIONS © MORENO CHIACCHIERA/BEEHIVE ILLUSTRATION http://www.scholastic.co.uk Edward Jenner – Vaccination In 18th century England, smallpox was rampant, particularly among children. It was highly contagious and caused disfigurement, blindness and death. In 1796, Jenner, a rural doctor, used fluid from a dairymaid’s cowpox blister to inoculate eight year-old James Phipps. The now-famous experiment was a success and James was shown to be immune to smallpox. After further experimentation and additional proof, the Royal Society published Jenner’s findings, and vaccination (named after the Latin for ‘cow’ – vacca) has been used ever since. In 1980, the World Health Organisation declared smallpox to be globally eradicated. www.scholastic.co.uk/juniored Louis Pasteur – Germ Theory of Disease Pasteur is recognised as the name from which we derived the term ‘pasteurised milk’. Pasteurs’s early experiments showed the souring of beer, wine and milk to be caused by micro-organisms and that these could be destroyed by boiling the liquid. The French biologist and chemist used his findings to develop the Germ Theory of Disease, stating that micro-organisms from the environment can attack the body, causing disease. This theory helped to explain the causes and nature of numerous diseases and how vaccination worked to prevent them. Pasteur went on to create the first vaccination against rabies. Alexander Fleming – Antibiotics Scientists really should tidy their laboratories more often. In 1928, one such spring-cleaning session led to the unexpected discovery of antibiotics. Bacteriologist, Alexander Fleming, noticed that a mould had formed on a Petri dish used for cultivating bacteria and that a circle of the bacteria surrounding the mould had dissolved. Fleming hypothesised that the mould was inhibiting the bacteria’s growth. After growing and experimenting with a pure culture of the mould, Fleming named it, penicillin, and suggested its potential as a decontaminator. Today, penicillin is still one of the most widely used antibiotics. AUGUST 2007 Name http://www.scholastic.co.uk Future 2003 – Human Genome Project completed: Medical institutes around the world collaborate to investigate the way human genes are structured. This knowledge may help to treat and prevent medical disorders in the future. Breakthroughs in medicine CHRISTINA BAKER, WRITER, TEACHER AND EDUCATIONAL JOURNALIST 1998 – Production of stem cells. 1980 – Smallpox wiped out across the globe. 1952 – Polio vaccination: After years of research, Jonas Salk develops a vaccine against poliomyelitis, a crippling disease affecting thousands of children. 1922 – Discovery of insulin: Fred Banting and Charles Best discover the hormone insulin, now used across the world to treat diabetes. 1901 – Isolation of a hormone (adrenaline). 1997 – Successful cloning of an animal (Dolly the sheep). 1953 – Discovery of DNA structure: James Watson and Francis Crick determine the structure of DNA, which holds the genetic information for all life. 1928 – Discovery of Antibiotics: Alexander Fleming discovers a type of mould that fights bacteria and names it penicillin. 1905 – Discovery of the importance of vitamins for health: William Fletcher and Frederick Hopkins develop a theory that nutrients in food help to prevent illness. 1897 – Creation of Aspirin 1892 – Discovery of viruses: Dmitri Iwanowski publishes findings relating to viruses (microscopic particles causing infection). 1882 – The germ causing the fatal disease, Tuberculosis, is identified. 1860s – Germ Theory: Louis Pasteur develops the idea that disease and infection are caused by micro-organisms. 1842 – First use of ether anaesthesia in surgery. Past ONLINE PHOTOCOPIABLE 2 1865 – Use of antiseptic: Joseph Lister successfully uses carbolic acid to disinfect wounds. This saves lives and leads to cleaner, safer surgery. 1796 – Vaccination against disease: Edward Jenner discovers that injection with a small dose of a disease prevents its contraction. www.scholastic.co.uk/juniored AUGUST 2007 Name http://www scholastic co uk Joseph Lister’s Diary …1865… We are currently losing around half our patients due to infection after surgery. The wards are filthy and the stink is almost unbearable! My colleagues believe that the wounds are being infected by ‘bad air’, but I am not so sure. I have been reading about some fascinating new ideas proposed by a French chemist, named Louis Pasteur. He suggests that tiny organisms (that can travel in the air, a bit like pollen) are responsible for causing disease and decay. If this is true, we may be able to prevent infection by stopping these organisms reaching the wound. WORDS © CHRISTINA BAKER, WRITER, TEACHER AND EDUCATIONAL JOURNALIST; PARCHMENT © BROKENARTS/STOCK.XCHNG …later that year… Interesting news! I was recently told about a substance called ‘carbolic acid’. It has been used successfully to keep sewage works free from infection. This caused me to wonder whether it would do a similar job with wounds. I obtained some of this chemical solution and have been soaking the surgical tools and dressings in it before applying them to the patients’ wounds. Some are naturally a bit worried by this new procedure, but it seems to be working! …1867… Last week I was able to announce to the British Medical Association that the new methods have kept my infirmary clear of infection for the past nine months. Death rates have also fallen dramatically. They are a stubborn lot and have asked for more proof but I know I am right! I shall now dedicate my time to gathering additional evidence. I have already convinced a number of doctors at other hospitals to wash their hands before and after surgery and to use carbolic acid to clean instruments and dress wounds. I am sure it will not be long before the benefits of my procedures are obvious to everyone. I live in hope… Dr Joseph Lister ONLINE PHOTOCOPIABLE 3 www.scholastic.co.uk/juniored AUGUST 2007 Name http://www.scholastic.co.uk Medical marvels glossary A substance that can destroy micro-organisms Antiseptic Counteracts sepsis; sterile Bacteria Micro-organisms that cause disease Decompose Decay, rot, break down Decontaminator Remover of infection, contamination, pollution Disinfect Cleans a wound or infection Eradicated Destroy completely Immune Resistant to a particular infection or toxin Inoculate Treat with a vaccine Micro-organisms Extremely small (microscopic) living things (organisms) Noxious Harmful, unwholesome Pasteurised Partially sterilised by heat Penicillin Antibiotic (produced naturally by Pencilium mould or man made) Sepsis/Septic Contamination caused by bacteria in a wound Sterilise Make free from micro-organisms Vaccination Provides immunity to a disease SCHOLASTIC LTD 2007 Antibiotics ONLINE PHOTOCOPIABLE 4 www.scholastic.co.uk/juniored AUGUST 2007