Sunday Quiz All about medical history
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Born on April 5, 1827, Joseph ___ was an English surgeon who was a pioneer in antiseptic surgery. After studying Louis Pasteur’s work in microbiology he promoted the use of carbolic acid (now known as phenol) as an antiseptic. He found that after spraying instruments it reduced incidences of gangrene and he instructed surgeons to wash their hands with 5% carbolic acid solutions. He became known as the ‘Father of modern surgery’. In 1879, an antiseptic (which we now know as a mouthwash) was named after him. What is this antiseptic and what was his full name?
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In ancient India, after abdominal surgeries, when closing incisions, a certain entity would be used to hold the two ends of a wound together and then cut off, so that the part that was holding the wound closed would remain. Once the external incision was stitched up using thread, the stomach juices would ensure that the entities holding the wound together slowly dissolve, by which time the wound would have healed. What were these early forms of ‘staples’?
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This individual was one of the first to argue that all illnesses had natural causes, rather than blaming supernatural occurrences. He advocated patient-centred medicine and that healers should be clinicians, making close observations and using rational thinking processes. He also emphasised the moral and ethical dimensions of medical care. Who was this pioneering healer?
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Conjunctivitis is inflammation of the outermost layer of the white part of the eye and the inner surface of the eyelid caused by infectious microbes. In the early 1950s the adenovirus responsible for it was supposed to have been discovered at the Government Ophthalmic Hospital in Egmore, Chennai, which is the second oldest ophthalmic hospital in the world. This led to this disease getting a particular term. What is the common name for conjunctivitis?
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People used to believe that mental health was affected by the phases of the moon but various studies have disproved this. But it was so prevalent that one of the words we use to describe insanity is derived from the Latin word for moon. What is this term that you’ve probably used to describe someone as being mad?
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This disease has been plaguing mankind for thousands of years. Egyptians first recorded its symptoms on papyrus more than 3000 years back. The very first clinical test for this disease was in India where ants were used for confirming diagnosis. Even during the later centuries European doctors used to taste the urine of patients to confirm this disease. What problem is this which is one of the fastest growing diseases, thanks to more people living sedentary lifestyles?
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Ernst Moro was an Austrian paediatrician who discovered that breast-fed children had stronger bactericidal activity in their blood than bottle-fed ones. His biggest contribution was carrot soup. Known as Moro’s carrot soup, he peeled and pureed carrots in water, added salt and served it. This simple dish exponentially decreased the death of babies off a then deadly (now simple) issue. What is it?
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Many cultures and civilisations have known for thousands of years about the properties of salicylates, for example the medicinal property of white willow, which contains derivatives of this substance. However, it was only in the 1800s that this chemical was first isolated in a lab and much later the form in which we know it today was patented. What is the generic name of this painkiller?
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In 5,000 years of medical history only two diseases have been completely eradicated, both caused by viruses. First was Rinderpest, an infectious viral disease of cattle. The other was caused by one of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The earliest mention of this disease was in the 3rd century BC in Egyptian mummies and the last confirmed case was in 1977. What disease was this that was finally certified as eradicated by WHO in 1980?
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Melatonin is a hormone released by the pineal gland that regulates sleep and wakefulness in the body. It has been proved that light from a popular artificial device hampers the production of melatonin and thereby interferes with the sleep cycle. Unfortunately nowadays people seem to spend more time on this. What device is this?
