333333ABPIHistory of medicine

Notes for teachers

There are nine chapters that describe the history of medicine. They are all linked from and link to the interactive fl ash timeline (shown above).

Prehistoric medicine describes how archaeological discoveries suggest the earliest humans believed in spirits and supernatural forces which could heal the sick.

Ancient Egyptian medicine shows how the belief in Gods still infl uenced thinking, but medicines and recorded remedies were developed to treat specifi c disorders.

Greeks and Romans describes the start of medical thinking in terms of disorders having a cause within the body. Hippocrates fathered modern medicine. He believed the body contained four humors and an imbalance in them would cause a disease.

Middle Ages describes how beliefs in Europe that illness was a punishment from God still prevailed: doctors were usually priests or religious scholars.

Arabic medicines covers the development and refi nement of Hippocrates’ theories and covers the development and refi nement of Hippocrates’ theories and covers the development and refi nement ofexplains how Islamic physicians began to use the regulation of diet, exercise and the prescription of medicinal herbs in the treatment of their patients.

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Contents

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Scientifi c enquiry

Ideas & evidence in scienceScience: historical & contemporary examples

Humans & other animals

Human health - generallyHuman health: bacteria/virusesHuman health: defence mechanisms, including immunisationHuman health: medicinesCirculatory system - bloodInsulin

Variation, inheritance & evolution

DNA

Waves

X-rays

Sound

Ultrasound

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ABPIHistory of medicine

Notes for teachers

Curriculum links (using the COL keyword scheme)

The Renaissance describes a period in Europe when there was a revival in the ideas of ancient Rome and Greece. Medicine was studied by scholars who developed ideas about the anatomical working of the body in a scientifi c and systematic way. During this period, William Harvey published his theory on circulation and other discoveries laid the foundations for the basis of medical knowledge seen today.

18th and 19th Centuries describes how advances such as vaccination, the discovery of pathogenic microbes, x-rays and surgery led to medicine in its modern form becoming established. Jenner’s development of vaccination and Roentgen’s discovery of x-rays are explored further.

20th Century shows how life expectancy dramatically improved during the 20th Century. Contributions such as the development of antibiotics and the treatment of diabetes with insulin are described further.

21st Century medicine speculates on future developments and how modern genetics may lead to new treatments. The knowledge unlocked by the human genome project and the ethical issues that this poses are also explored.

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1 - Penicillin

This activity allows students to practice their skills in experimental design.

The discovery of penicillin

Have students read through page 13 of the electronic resource. This describes how Alexander Fleming observed the inhibition of Staphylococcus growth by the fungus Staphylococcus growth by the fungus Staphylococcus Penicillium notatum. This led to the isolation and fi rst clinical trials of the fi rst antibiotic, penicillin.

Observing the effect of antibiotics

A classic test to see the effectiveness of antibiotics against bacteria is shown in picture 30 (below) on page 13. Small paper discs are impregnated with a particular antibiotic. These are then placed onto an agar plate that has previously been inoculated with the bacteria in question. The antibiotic diffuses out into the agar and, if it is effective against the bacteria, inhibits its growth in a circular zone. The greater the area of inhibition, the more effective the antibiotic.

In tests, several different antibiotic discs are usually placed on the same agar plate. This can also be used as a method of identifying unknown bacterial infections.

Experimental design: testing antibiotics

Ask students to design an experiment to test the effect of different antibiotics against the bacteria E.coli.

A suitable test would be to inoculate an agar plate with E.coli and then place antibiotic discs on the E.coli and then place antibiotic discs on the E.colisurface before incubating to allow the bacteria to grow. After several days, observe the plate and measure the zones of no bacterial growth. The larger the area the more effective the antibiotic. Tests should be duplicated to get reliable means for each antibiotic.

These antibiotic discs are available from commercial suppliers and the tests can be performed or demonstrated, with the appropriate safety measures, in the school laboratory.

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ABPIHistory of medicine

Notes for teachers

Using the resource

Web links

The immune systemwww.schoolscience.co.uk/content/4/biology/abpi/immune/index.html

Treating asthmawww.schoolscience.co.uk/content/4/biology/abpi/asthma/asth6.html

Hormones - diabeteswww.schoolscience.co.uk/content/4/biology/abpi/hormones/horm4.html

The Viagra storywww.schoolscience.co.uk/content/4/biology/viagra/index.html

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2 - Science in a social context

The fi rst activity looks at how the understanding of health and medicine is infl uenced by the social beliefs of the time. This encourages students to critically question information by considering the context and belief-system it is based on.

Developing ideas in medicine

Students will need to look through the whole electronic resource and look at how the models used to understand health and disease have moved from being based on external, spiritual infl uences, to the modern scientifi c view. Students are directed in this task by the Student worksheet 1, Ideas in medicine.

Use this as a basis for a discussion. Ask students to refl ect on how the beliefs at the time infl uence the understanding of human health and disease. Over time, these have moved from attributing spiritual or mystical causes for disease to the modern ‘mechanical’ or reductionist view of medicine.

How much do students trust this view? What about controversies such as BSE and the MMR vaccine? Where do they get information about these types of issues? Are all sources of information equally reliable?

The discussion can be concluded by looking at the resurgence of alternative and holistic therapies such as homeopathy, herbal remedies and faith healing. These appear to contradict the medical view of health and yet are popular with many people.

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Notes for teachers

Using the resource

Issues in modern medicineCurrent issues, such as the concerns over the safety of vaccines, offer a good opportunity for presentations or debates. Students can be put into groups to present the arguments for different factions such as concerned parents, medical researchers, newspaper and media reporters and government health offi cials.

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Ideas in medicine

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3333333ABPIHistory of medicine

Student worksheet 13333333

Age 14-16

S1

• How have people’s ideas and understanding about health and disease changed?

• How this is linked with their beliefs?

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You have to test a range of antibiotics to see which is the best at stopping the growth of the bacteria E.coli.

ProblemDesign an experiment to see which antibiotic is the best at stopping the growth of E.coli.

AntibioticsThe antibiotics you have to test are:

• penicillin

• chloramphenicol

• vancomycin

• methicillin.

Each antibiotic is available to you on small paper discs which have been soaked in the antibiotic.

ClueLook at picture 30 on page 13 of the History of medicine electronic resource.

Think about

• How are you going to set up the experiment?

• What will you look for?

• What are you going to measure?

• How will you make sure that your results are reliable?

• How will you present your results?

Which antibiotic is the best?

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History of medicineStudent worksheet 2

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