Wednesday, 10 January 2007
DNA, Antibiotics in Medical History Smackdown
Topic: History
The British Medical Journal wants to name the greatest medical breakthrough of the last 166 years -- since its founding -- and you get to vote.
Here are the finalists:
Anesthesia
Antibiotics
Chlorpromazine [an anti-seizure drug, perhaps better known as Thorazine]
Computers
DNA
Evidence based medicine
Germ theory
Imaging
Immunology
Oral rehydration therapy
The Pill
[The discovery of the] Risks of smoking
Sanitation
Tissue culture
Vaccines
In terms of saving lives worldwide, it seems like antibiotics, oral rehydration therapy (which helped wipe out cholera), sanitation, germ theory and vaccines (although there were immunizations back in the 18th century) might be the leaders.
And maybe the discovery of the risks of smoking too, although it seems that perhaps the message hasn't sunk in all over the world.
Have the other items saved as many lives?
(The picture, by the way, is of an early chloroform inhaler.)
What is the greatest medical milestone? [BBC]
Topic: History
The British Medical Journal wants to name the greatest medical breakthrough of the last 166 years -- since its founding -- and you get to vote. Here are the finalists:
Anesthesia
Antibiotics
Chlorpromazine [an anti-seizure drug, perhaps better known as Thorazine]
Computers
DNA
Evidence based medicine
Germ theory
Imaging
Immunology
Oral rehydration therapy
The Pill
[The discovery of the] Risks of smoking
Sanitation
Tissue culture
Vaccines
In terms of saving lives worldwide, it seems like antibiotics, oral rehydration therapy (which helped wipe out cholera), sanitation, germ theory and vaccines (although there were immunizations back in the 18th century) might be the leaders.
And maybe the discovery of the risks of smoking too, although it seems that perhaps the message hasn't sunk in all over the world.
Have the other items saved as many lives?
(The picture, by the way, is of an early chloroform inhaler.)
What is the greatest medical milestone? [BBC]
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