Medicine Through Time

What this unit covers

The resources follow medicine from earliest times to the present. Early material looks at prehistoric medicine, how we know about it, and ideas from Hippocrates, Galen and Islamic medicine. Later maps move through medieval medicine, the Renaissance, the industrial period and modern medicine. Individuals have their own resources, such as William Harvey, Andreas Vesalius, Joseph Lister and Louis Pasteur.

Where to start

For an overview, open the mind map History - Medicine through Time. It begins with prehistoric medicine and asks how we know about it, from skeletal remains to cultures still living as people once did. Then read the GCSE HISTORY MEDICINE THROUGH TIME REVISION note, which lists topics in order.

Next, pick the period you are working on:

• Renaissance Medicine sorts Paré, Harvey and Vesalius by factors such as chance, religion, individuals and war.
• Public Health 1800-1900 is a timeline that includes Koch identifying the cholera germ and the Great Stink.
• Penicillin covers Fleming, Florey and Chain, and why the discovery mattered.

Using quizzes and maps together

Read a map first, then test yourself. The quiz Medicine in Britain, c.1250- Present - QUIZ asks about the Black Death, the first British printing press, Vesalius and Harvey. History GCSE Edexcel Medicine Through Time asks about Pasteur's germ theory, x-rays and the National Health Service.

Write down what you missed, return to the matching map, and try the quiz again a few days later. Flashcards such as GCSE History Medicine Through Time Key Words help with terms like bloodletting, dissection, the four humours and public health.

Where it sits

This unit belongs to the Thematic Studies strand of History. Because it follows one theme across long periods, it suits questions about change and continuity. The Renaissance Medicine maps give examples of both.

Pick a topic, open a quiz, and then make your own maps and flashcards to fill any gaps.