550: Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conducted the first medical trials in order to determine whether a diet of beans, vegetables, and water would be healthier than a diet of wine and red meat. The trial succeeded in determining that a diet of beans, vegetables, and water is significantly healthier.
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon conducted the first medical trials in order to determine whether a diet of beans, vegetables, and water would be healthier than a diet of wine and red meat. The trial succeeded in determining that a diet of beans, vegetables, and water is significantly healthier.
1537: Ambroise Pare
Ambroise Pare, a Renaissance surgeon, unwillingly conducted a clinical trial when he ran out of the standard treatment for open wounds, boiling oil. As a replacement for the standard treatment, he mixed egg yolk, turpentine, and rose oil and noticed that this treatment healed wounds better than the standard treatment, which left wounds swollen and infected.
Ambroise Pare, a Renaissance surgeon, unwillingly conducted a clinical trial when he ran out of the standard treatment for open wounds, boiling oil. As a replacement for the standard treatment, he mixed egg yolk, turpentine, and rose oil and noticed that this treatment healed wounds better than the standard treatment, which left wounds swollen and infected.
1747: James Lind
James Lind is known as the Pioneer of Clinical Trials, as he was the first physician to have conducted a controlled clinical trial. He was working as a surgeon on a ship, and planned a comparative trial to figure out a cure for scurvy, which causes symptoms including bleeding gums and the opening of previously healed wounds. Lind selected 12 patients with scurvy to treat, in order to determine if any dietary changes could treat the disease. The 12 patients had common diets, which he manipulated to determine that treating patients with a quart of cider each day had the best effects on treating scurvy.
James Lind is known as the Pioneer of Clinical Trials, as he was the first physician to have conducted a controlled clinical trial. He was working as a surgeon on a ship, and planned a comparative trial to figure out a cure for scurvy, which causes symptoms including bleeding gums and the opening of previously healed wounds. Lind selected 12 patients with scurvy to treat, in order to determine if any dietary changes could treat the disease. The 12 patients had common diets, which he manipulated to determine that treating patients with a quart of cider each day had the best effects on treating scurvy.
1796: Edward Jenner
Edward Jenner created the world's first vaccine - the smallpox vaccine. After noticing that farmers exposed to cowpox were immune to smallpox, he theorized that a cowpox vaccination could treat smallpox. Jenner tested his theory by injecting a farmer's boy with cowpox, which protected him from smallpox. However, his vaccine had lots of critics, as the clergy determined that vaccinations were an ungodly act. Despite critics, the desire to live prevailed and smallpox vaccinations became common.
Edward Jenner created the world's first vaccine - the smallpox vaccine. After noticing that farmers exposed to cowpox were immune to smallpox, he theorized that a cowpox vaccination could treat smallpox. Jenner tested his theory by injecting a farmer's boy with cowpox, which protected him from smallpox. However, his vaccine had lots of critics, as the clergy determined that vaccinations were an ungodly act. Despite critics, the desire to live prevailed and smallpox vaccinations became common.
1800: Austin Flint
Austin Flint planned the first clinical study in which a dummy remedy was compared to an active treatment. He treated 13 people suffering from rheumatism, a disease causing inflammation or pain in joints and muscles, with an herbal extract instead of an established remedy, in order to determine whether the herbal extract could also be used to treat the disease. Another 13 patients were treated with the actual remedy used at the time. Although the herbal extract was simply a placebo, or a harmless treatment that would not have had any therapeutic effect, 12 of the 13 treated with the herbal extract experienced the same recovery as the 13 treated with the actual remedy. Thus, the herbal extract became known as a placeboic remedy for rheumatism.
Austin Flint planned the first clinical study in which a dummy remedy was compared to an active treatment. He treated 13 people suffering from rheumatism, a disease causing inflammation or pain in joints and muscles, with an herbal extract instead of an established remedy, in order to determine whether the herbal extract could also be used to treat the disease. Another 13 patients were treated with the actual remedy used at the time. Although the herbal extract was simply a placebo, or a harmless treatment that would not have had any therapeutic effect, 12 of the 13 treated with the herbal extract experienced the same recovery as the 13 treated with the actual remedy. Thus, the herbal extract became known as a placeboic remedy for rheumatism.
1834: Pierre Charles Alexander Louis
Pierre Charles Alexander Louis developed the "numerical method" which he used to conduct trials regarding the treatment of fevers. In 1834, Louis published a treatise in the American Journal of Medical Sciences disputing Francois-Joseph-Victor Broussais' theory of bloodletting. His essay, entitled "An Essay on Clinical Instruction" proved that bloodletting was ineffective in treating fevers caused by pneumonia.
Pierre Charles Alexander Louis developed the "numerical method" which he used to conduct trials regarding the treatment of fevers. In 1834, Louis published a treatise in the American Journal of Medical Sciences disputing Francois-Joseph-Victor Broussais' theory of bloodletting. His essay, entitled "An Essay on Clinical Instruction" proved that bloodletting was ineffective in treating fevers caused by pneumonia.
1847: Ignaz Semmelweis
Ignaz Semmelweis discovered that the amount of female deaths due to contracting puerperal fever, a bacterial infection that females typically contracted after experiencing a miscarriage or childbirth, could be greatly reduced if doctors and hospital staff washed their hands with a chlorinated lime solution. Semmelweis' discovery led to the drop in the death rate of females from childbirth from 10-50% to 1.27%, and also led to the development of other antiseptic procedures.
Ignaz Semmelweis discovered that the amount of female deaths due to contracting puerperal fever, a bacterial infection that females typically contracted after experiencing a miscarriage or childbirth, could be greatly reduced if doctors and hospital staff washed their hands with a chlorinated lime solution. Semmelweis' discovery led to the drop in the death rate of females from childbirth from 10-50% to 1.27%, and also led to the development of other antiseptic procedures.
1864: Louis Pasteur
Louis Pasteur, a French biologist, is known as the "Father of Microbiology" due to his discovery of pasteurization and microbial fermentation, as well as his proposal of the germ theory. Pasteur conducted an experiment looking at paratartaric acid, in which he discovered that studying the composition of a chemical does not determine how the chemical behaves. The behavior of chemicals depends on their structure and shape, which is studied within the field of stereochemistry. In 1862, Pasteur conducted experiments and determined that bacterial organisms are responsible for the spoiling of milk and souring of wine and beer. He invented the process of pasteurization, in which bacteria can be removed by boiling and then cooling a liquid. Lastly, in 1879, Pasteur invented a vaccine for a disease known as chicken cholera by exposing chickens to a weakened form of the virus. The weakened form of the virus caused them to become resistant to the actual virus. Pasteur then used his discovery to develop vaccines for anthrax, cholera, tuberculosis, and smallpox.
Louis Pasteur, a French biologist, is known as the "Father of Microbiology" due to his discovery of pasteurization and microbial fermentation, as well as his proposal of the germ theory. Pasteur conducted an experiment looking at paratartaric acid, in which he discovered that studying the composition of a chemical does not determine how the chemical behaves. The behavior of chemicals depends on their structure and shape, which is studied within the field of stereochemistry. In 1862, Pasteur conducted experiments and determined that bacterial organisms are responsible for the spoiling of milk and souring of wine and beer. He invented the process of pasteurization, in which bacteria can be removed by boiling and then cooling a liquid. Lastly, in 1879, Pasteur invented a vaccine for a disease known as chicken cholera by exposing chickens to a weakened form of the virus. The weakened form of the virus caused them to become resistant to the actual virus. Pasteur then used his discovery to develop vaccines for anthrax, cholera, tuberculosis, and smallpox.
1943: Sir Harold Himsworth
Sir Harold Himsworth led the Medical Research Council of UK in carrying out a trial to investigate whether Patulin could be used to treat the common cold. The clinical trial was the First Double Blind comparative trial, in which neither the researcher nor the patient knew which treatment they were getting. However, the trial showed that patulin had no effect in treating the common cold.
Sir Harold Himsworth led the Medical Research Council of UK in carrying out a trial to investigate whether Patulin could be used to treat the common cold. The clinical trial was the First Double Blind comparative trial, in which neither the researcher nor the patient knew which treatment they were getting. However, the trial showed that patulin had no effect in treating the common cold.