Medical Science In The 1800's

Many standard features of modern science did not become commonly used elements of scientific practice until the 1800’s. “Regular” medical practices at the time were based on the Four Humours Theory (scholars of the period decided that the body contained four humours: blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile) and therefore was seen to be based more upon philosophy or art than true science (The History of Medicine). Before the turn of the century, medical practices were seen as almost barbaric to modern eyes, due to the use of mercury, iron, bleeding, leeches, induced vomiting, prescribed laxatives, arsenic and phosphorus based medicine, and the use of prayer, and often led to the death of the patients rather than them becoming well again.
At the turn of the century, many western physicians began dabbling with newer theories that were being used in Europe. Professional associations, laboratories, scientific journals, clinical research, and government funding, all of which became reality during this time period, lead to men and women to pursue professional careers and medical students and scientists. When French physicians began using hospitals for clinical research, which

Research institutes began to provide professional scientist with the equipment, money, and space to conduct experiments, which lead to improvements of scientific instruments, such as the microscope and the thermometer, and led to the invention of the ophthalmoscope (used for looking inside of the eye through the lense of the eye) and the sphygmograph, which was used to measuring a patient’s blood pressure (Medical Advances Timeline). These improved instruments and new instruments contributed to new and better understandings of the human