People of the Past

Fifth Century B.C. Hippocrates 460-377 B. C. & Hippocratic Corpus Early Western world’s bible of medical practice. Cranial surgery and cataract operations to faint sounds of the chest when pleurisy was present. Hippocratic Oath is still taken today at medical school commencement

Galen 129 – 210 A. D. Greek from Asia Minor, his work lasted about 1,400 years. Descriptions of large muscle groups Very egotistical which led to bad guesses and unsupported theories. Ex: evil spirits lived in blood stream Wrote over 125 volumes, 83 still exist Wrote on movement of muscle and nerves. His reign came to an end with the Renaissance

Theophrastus Bombastus van Hohenheim (1493-1541)                                                          Theophrastus Bombastus van Hohenheim (1493-1541) 16th Century Swiss healer. Father of anesthesia Remembered by his chosen name Paracelsius to proclaim that he was superior even to Celsius Medical contributions: Lung ailments of miners Taught at University of Basel Started first lecture by burning all the books written by Galen

Andreas Vesalius 1514- 64 From Belgium Also concluded that Galen’s work was imperfect Studied in Paris University of Padua Professor at age 23 Revolutionized the dissection of the cadaver by actually performing it himself (disproving many of Galen’s theories) “Greatest medical book ever written” – Humani Corporis Fabrica (on the Fabric of the Human Body) an anatomy text.

Hans and Zacharias Janssen Father and son team of Dutch spectacle makers devised a microscope in 1590 This led to Galileo’s (Father of Modern Physics and Astronomy) telescope and seeing craters on the moon.

Antonie van Leeuwenhoek KNOWN FOR Identified certain bacteria by studying blood through a microscope FUN FACTS - Received no higher education and was made fun of Over 500 microscopes More of a magnifying glass “…whenever I found out anything remarkable, I have thought it my duty to put down my discovery on paper, so that all ingenious people might be informed thereof…”

Edward Jenner KNOWN FOR Vaccination of smallpox FUN FACTS: Inoculated people with cow-pox Vacca = cow (latin) Heard milk maids did not contract smallpox

Louis Pasteur KNOWN FOR Developed technique of pasteurization of milk FUN FACTS: More famous for his germ theory of disease which led to safe brewing of beer…. Made vaccines for anthrax and rabies "Imagination should give wings to our thoughts but we always need decisive experimental proof, and when the moment comes to draw conclusions and to interpret the gathered observations, imagination must be checked and documented by the factual results of the experiment."

Ignaz Phillipp Semmelweis KNOWN FOR Introduced antisepsis to prevent infection transfer and eliminating puerperal fever. FUN FACTS Got a masters in Midwifery Made the doctors and medical students wash their hands with chlorinated lime. Public did not support hand washing 1865 He died in an asylum…

John Snow KNOWN FOR Discovered that cholera was spread by seepage of sewage into a well. FUN FACTS Took the handle off wells A vegetarian Lectured on forensic medicine

Alexander Flemming KNOWN FOR Discovery of penicillin, the first antibiotic FUN FACTS It was sort of an accident! “A spore that drifted into his lab and took root on a culture dish started a chain of events that altered forever the treatment of bacterial infections” By DR. DAVID HO

David Ho KNOWN FOR Drug cocktails for the treatment of AIDS FUN FACTS Classmates laughed at him and thought him stupid because he couldn’t speak English TIME magazine Man of the Year in 1996 Did not treat but helped them lead nearly normal lives