The Barber-Surgeon. Religion and Medicine

Transcription

1 The Barber-Surgeon Even with the slow evolution of medicine into a science, there were practices that would surprise people today. For example, in the Middle Ages barbers cut more than hair. Barber-surgeons performed surgery to treat cataracts and practiced phlebotomy (bloodletting). They also served with the military and treated injuries sustained in battle. They amputated limbs and burned the stumps to seal the blood vessels. I The striped pole we see in front of a barbershop is a symbol left over from the time when barbers were also surgeons. After an operation, the bandages would be hung on a staff or pole and sometimes placed outside the barber's shop as an advertisement. Twirled by the wind, they would form a red and white spiral pattern that was later used on painted poles. A more popular theory of the origin of the colors of a barber pole was based on the idea that red represented the blood, blue, the veins, and white, the bandages. Figure 2.3 shows a barber pole. The Beginning of Medical Care Regulation Regulation of medical care began in the Middle Ages. Physicians were licensed after formal training with experienced doctors. Physicians and surgeons received different training. Physicians learned by reading books and training with experienced doctors. Women were not allowed to practice medicine. In the fourteenth century, a Frenchwoman named Jacoba Felicie was tried for practicing medicine without a license. She defended herself by explaining that women were sometimes embarrassed to go to a male physician for treatment. The judge did not find in her favor, and she was forbidden to practice medicine. Fig. 2.3 Barber-Surgeons The striped barber pole is a symbol left over from the time when barbers were also surgeons. How would you feel about your barber or haffso/hst drawing your blood or pulling your teeth? Religion and Medicine Religion continued to play a significant role in healthcare. Both Christian and Muslim teachings encourage the care of those in need. By the thirteenth century there were scores of hospitals in the Muslim world. Religious instruction based on the Qur'an (Koran) taught followers social responsibilities, such as the rich providing for the poor and the healthy caring for the sick. These principles led to the founding of many Islamic hospitals. Each hospital had separate wards for different illnesses, employed trained nurses, and maintained stocks of medication. The teachings of the Christian church also encouraged followers to help the sick and needy. Many monasteries were founded specifically to treat the sick. Local healers, who were often women, served at the monasteries. Otherwise, the treatment consisted of prayer and rest. Compare Christian and Muslim teachings about healthcare in the Middle Ages. 26 Unit 1 Healthcare Foundations

2 Renaissance practice went through many changes during the ce, which began during the fourteenth century and lasted e seventeenth. fifteenth century, the invention of the printing press made it e to publish books faster. Information about new discoveries be spread quickly. tbe sixteenth century, the scientific method came into use in This was a major change in the way people thought about :ide and research. The scientific method is a process used to.a:.c_..tf' new knowledge. Instead of using guesswork or the super _L... to explain events and diseases, people began to look for the es ofwhat they saw around them. The scientific method was..: on observation and taking careful notes. This method was not =-"':::::lon practice during the Middle Ages. elopments that took place during this time were made by inventions such as the microscope, which allowed much accurate observation of patients and symptoms. Doctors could ".,...,...,,-... an explanation of disease and test it by experimentation and,.'n~ ;ation.robert Hooke ( ) built one ofthe first reflecting "".<:.-,,-oc,opes. Figure 2.4 shows an example of an early microscope. 2.A Microscope Robert Hooke built one of the first reflecting ioscopes. How did the invention of the microscope change healthcare? Chapter 2 Healthcare Systems 27,

3 During the Age of Enlightenment. a philosophical movement of the 1700s. studies ofthe human anatomy took place. These investigations, which had been forbidden by the church in the past, helped correct many beliefs. Identify the sixteenth-century development that brought major change to how people thought about medicine and research. The Industrial Revolution What did Edward Jenner discover that led to the practice of vaccination? During the Industrial Revolution ofthe late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. great changes were caused by the introduction of machines. Along with important economic changes, progress was also made in medicine. New diagnostic tools such as the stethoscope were invented. Blood cells, bacteria, and protozoa could now be seen with a microscope. Doctors knew that blood was carried through the body by large vessels, but they did not know how blood circulated throughout the body. This was explained by the discovery ofcapillaries. A connection was made between health and the environment. Edward Jenner ( ), an English doctor. discovered that milkmaids exposed to cowpox did not get smallpox. Around 1796 he began inoculating people with the fluid from cowpox blisters. thus beginning the practice of vaccination. Modern medical practice is based on the discoveries and developments ofthe nineteenth century. Once the connection between the structure and the function of an organism was made, further discoveries followed. Louis Pasteur ( ) carried out experiments that became the basis for modern microbiology. Joseph Lister ( ) was ridiculed for insisting on the use of carbolic soap to disinfect instruments and clean hands before doctors moved to another patient. Today we call his practice-the practice ofdisinfecting surgical equipment and hand washing as a way to prevent the spread of infection-medical asepsis. Robert Koch ( ) discovered that pathogens. or disease-producing microorganisms. are the source of some diseases and proved that Lister was correct. This was the beginning ofmodern bacteriology. The use of ether as an anesthetic began during this period. It made painless surgery possible. Name the tool developed in the late 18th century that advanced diagnosis. 28 Unit 1 Healthcare Foundations

4 1 dern Times -:at new developments show the most :mise for transforming healthcare? ntieth century saw rapid growth in healthcare. Discoveries in nics and computer science changed clinical medicine dramati _ dvances in engineering, chemistry, and physics have contribcurrent medical practice. Antibiotics were invented. Radium, or cancer treatment, was discovered. The use of X-rays gained ce in noninvasive diagnoses. The development of computed omography (et scan), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), U MRI Technology can improve care techniques. How did the invention of the MRI affect the treatment of chents? ~",,;uundor sonographic imaging has improved diagnosis and n:~..."mfor many diseases. Figure 2.5 shows an MRI machine. Organ "T:Jc-;:"",,"'ls are now common, and are safer and more succcessful before. The development of artificial organs is progressing. fertilization allows many infertile couples to have children. *"=::ctl. technology, and improved care techniques are extending :zon for healthcare. entury progress in science and technology is expected to continue the twenty-first century and bring many more changes and to healthcare professionals. Electronic health records and Chapter 2 Healthcare Systems 29

5 Ii..,,-: '. ~... :1' " '~ '1 t " / 'Y i ". - \ j,' ~. t' ii' ~ ~ ~ : ff~.4rtf ~ ~ 'J.. ~l \.' -~ ~ e.,. ) fl ~JC '1 ~ 'l~' tf,..'; ~'.,.. ;.,' ;'.. -!" II t., ~j a fri ~.,,~ ::.. ~ t,.q t!":t,.., ~ "... ~ ""-" ~...'b " f ~ II X Y H Fig. 2.6 The Human Genome Project The Human Genome Project identified all of the 20,000-25,000 genes in human DNA. This knowledge has been crucial in the development of many new and individualized drugs and treatments. How can the study of human DNA help people with genetic disorders? " electronic communication provide instant transmission ofinformation. Physicians and patients neednot be in the same room oreven the same country to give and receive advice and treatment. Surgeries are performed with intricate computerized equipment. People in many areas of the world are living longer and healthier lives because of vaccines, dean water, and better nutrition. The =~'<..t...\q.<1-""(~'<..b...'j..=-' G..'<..=~'<.. ~,-..,.~c.t... (HGP) and the use of stem cells has opened doors to new types of individualized drugs and treatments (see figure 2.6). Diagnostic screening and preventive care are improving wellness and increasing life expectancy. Today's healthcare professional needs to be able to think critically and use flexible approaches to problem solving. Learning and adapting to change are necessary to maintain competency in the high-tech environment of modern healthcare. The only certainty in healthcare is change. Name three important medical advancements of the twentieth century. AFTER YOU READ 1. Analyze the effect Hippocrates had on the ethical practice ofmedicine. 2. Describe the history of the caduceus and the striped barber pole. 3. Identify a contribution of Persia to the development of medicine as science. 4. Contrast thirteenth-century Islamic and Christian healthcare systems. 5. Indicate the ways in which Lister contributed to the current practice ofmedical asepsis. 6. Examine the effect that modern science is having on the healthcare professional. Healthcare Discoveries So many advancements and discoveries in healthcare have occurred throughout history that they are too numerous to mention in this chapter. Choose one of the time periods discussed in Section 2.1 of this chapter. Research online or in other sources for at least one additional discovery or advancement in healthcare. Write a summary of your findings to present to your class or turn in to your teacher. 30 Unill Healthcare Foundations