History of Medicine: Chapters 10 - 12

What alternative to carbolic acid did the surgeons at Munich discover?

Boiling bandages and instruments to disinfect them.

What subject inspired Louis Pasteur to do well at his studies?

Chemistry

Johann Klein

Director of the Vienna Maternity Hospital. He was focused on money and tradition and objected to Semmelweis's investigation of hospital conditions

What scientific theory did Pasteur reject?

Evolution, which is founded on belief in spontaneous generation.

What caused the silkworms to become sick?

Microbes

Jacob Kolletschka

Semmelweiss' friend who died because he nicked his finger during an autopsy and got blood poisoning.

Joseph Lister

Surgeon who discovered that using antiseptic techniques during surgery reduced infection. He is considered to be the greatest surgeon of all time.

Spontaneous generation

The belief that life can arise from non-living organisms. Louis Pasteur disproved this theory.

Simple fracture

The bone is broken cleanly and the ends do not penetrate the skin. This type of break heals quickly.

What happened to the death rate when Semmelweis enforced hand washing?

The death rate fell to 1%

What happened when Semmelweis was rejected from the hospital?

The death rate skyrocketed again.

Fermentation

a process caused by yeast; it can be controlled by heating the liquid and killing off the yeast.

Galen's theory on infection

"Infection is useful. The pus cleans the wound and helps healing."

Listerine

An antiseptic wound cleanser that was not as harsh as carbolic acid.

Childbed fever

An infection that killed countless mothers in the 1800s due to the unsanitary practices of doctors.

The surgery death rate in Munich after Lister's techniques were implemented

1 out of 200 patients died

The surgery death rate in Munich before Lister's techniques were implemented

4 out of 5 patients died

Compound fracture

A break in the bone where the bone comes through the skin and is exposed to the air. There is a high chance of infection.

Pasteurization

A process of heating food to a temperature that is high enough to kill most harmful bacteria without changing the taste of the food.

Carbolic acid

A weak acid that effectively kills germs.

Ignaz Semmelweis

He identified the cause of childbed fever and emphasized doctor cleanliness. He was rejected and ridiculed because doctors felt that washing their hands was a silly waste of time.

How did Louis Pasteur prepare his mind before he started his day?

He read the Scriptures each morning.

What were Lister's antiseptic practices?

He washed his hands, wore clean clothes, used clean bandages and instruments, and used carbolic acid on wounds.

James Greenless

The first patient Joseph Lister treated with carbolic acid.

What confirmed Semmelweis's discovery after his death?

The germ theory

The maternity wards run by doctors had ___.

The highest death rates; about 25% of patients died per month.

Germ theory

The idea that certain microbes might cause specific infectious diseases. Doctors were reluctant to accept it.

The maternity wards run by midwives had_____.

The lowest death rates; about 1% of patients died per month.

What is the difference between glucose and galactose molecules?

They are mirror images of each other.

Contagious disease

a disease that is easily spread from one person to another