TURTON SCHOOL HISTORY DEPARTMENT – KNOWLEDGE ORGANISER – GCSE

Renaissance – what is it? An Italian word that translates as ‘re‐birth’. The time period that ran from the 1400’s to the 1700’s saw improvements in scientific experiments, trade,
exploration, map making, artists, culture and medicine. Key inventions such as the printing press meant that new information and knowledge could be easily and quickly shared. Literacy
levels also rose.
The role of key individuals Treatments The Great Plague Hospitals and surgery Jenner, inoculation and
vaccination
Andreas Vesalius (1514‐1564) improved our Treatments evolved and Beliefs about causes Hospitals were funded by rich In the 1700’s, inoculation
understanding of anatomy by dissecting humans rather improved but knowledge was ‐ Punishment from God for people, donations or was used to treat small
than animals. This gave him more accurate knowledge limited by a lack of sin subscriptions. In 1741 Thomas pox. This involved giving a
and allowed him to prove that Galen was wrong e.g. the understanding of germs. New ‐ Movement of planets Coram raised money to open low dose of smallpox to
human breastbone has 3 parts, not 7 like an ape. ideas focused on specific parts ‐ Poisonous air the Foundling Hospital in make a person immune. It
Vesalius worked with artists to ensure his findings were of medicine e.g. Robert Burton Real cause was again the London. It supported and was introduced to
accurately drawn and recorded. These drawings were studied mental illness and Jane fleas that live don rats that educated vulnerable children England in 1721 by Lady
released in a book De Humani Corporis Fabrica in 1543. Sharp women‐led midwifery. were attracted to the poor until 15. St Luke’s in London Montagu. Edward Jenner
This helped people to question ancient texts. However public health conditions on became the second largest introduced vaccination.
his work did not influence treatments greatly as doctors Explorers on voyages of towns and cities. public hospital in 1751, after He injected James Phipps
still did not know about effective causes or treatments discovery brought back new Bethlem, for the mentally ill. with pus from cowpox
Ambroise Pare (1510‐1590) was a battlefield surgeon natural medicines – opium from Attempted treatments Maternity hospitals were also sores. This gave Phipps
performing surgery on wounded soldiers. In battle, he Turkey was used as an ‐ Old ideas such as praying opened in Middlesex in 1747. immunity from smallpox.
ran out of boiling oil which was used for treating anaesthetic, the bark of the for forgiveness and miasma By 1800, London’s hospitals Jenner didn’t understand
gunshot wounds. Paré made an old Roman ointment of Cinchona tree from South (bad air) were still alone were treating 20,000 why this process worked
roses, turpentine and egg yolk which worked. Paré America helped to treat malaria, believed/followed patients a year. but it was made
developed ligatures to tie wounds instead of using a and tobacco from North ‐ Some new ideas were more compulsory by the
cauterising iron which was more successful. He spread America was wrongly said to effective e.g. plague doctors Hospitals trained doctors of government.
his ideas through his 1575 book Les Oeuvres, which cure many conditions. wore special clothing the future (still mainly theory,
became famous in Europe. His impact in Britain was covering their whole body to little practise, different wards Despite being much safer
limited – only the rich could afford to see a doctor and Poorer people still struggled to stop the spread of disease treated different diseases, than inoculation,
his ideas were met with scepticism. afford to see a trained doctor. and watchmen prevented and doctors liked to treat vaccination was opposed.
William Harvey (1578‐1657) discovers the circulation of Instead they relied on barber people entering/leaving patients for free at hospitals Some doctors were
the blood, disproving Galen’s ideas. Identifies the surgeons, apothecaries (no infected houses. at it improved their worried it would lose
difference between arteries and veins, and that the training, sold potions), wise ‐ There was a more scientific reputation for private them money, many
heart pumps blood continuously. This challenged Galen women and quacks. These were approach where people patients. John Hunter thought it wrong to inject
who taught the liver produced blood. To spread his people who falsely claimed to observed the death rates improved surgery by carrying cowpox into humans,
ideas he writes On the Motion of the Heart, 1628. have medical qualifications. were higher in dirtier places. out dissections, and some saw this as going
However, bleeding operations still continue after Harvey They travelled Britain making Bodies were buried in mass encouraging others to trust against God’s will. The
as people are unsure of what else to do. His ideas were profits from false treatments. graves and people were the body’s natural healing Anti‐Compulsory
rejected by conservatives who still supported by Galen. Some did gain some knowledge ordered to sweep the streets process. However he was Vaccination League was
It would take 60 years before people accepted his work of herbs and medicines but the outside their houses. Large unpopular for paying grave set up in 1866 arguing
when they too discovered capillaries. standard of care was generally gatherings and trade were robbers! parents should decide for
poor. limited their children.
Health and the people Part Two: The beginnings of change
 TURTON SCHOOL HISTORY DEPARTMENT – KNOWLEDGE ORGANISER – GCSE

Health and the people Part Two: The beginnings of change