No — germ theory came later (Pasteur, 1861); they blamed the Four Humours, miasma and God. Learn it step by step →
Medicine & Health Through Time is a core part of GCSE History. Revise the key concepts and common mistakes below, then lock them in with the free games.
Key concepts
ContinuityWhen ideas or practice stay the same over time
RenaissanceRebirth of learning, 15th-17th centuries
Public Health Act1875 law forcing councils to clean water and waste
Magic bulletDrug aimed at one disease — Salvarsan 606, 1909
DNAWatson and Crick identified the double-helix structure of DNA in 1953, using Rosalind Franklin's X-ray images.
Beveridge Report1942 plan that led to the welfare state and NHS
Four HumoursGreek theory of blood, phlegm, black and yellow bile
GalenRoman doctor whose ideas dominated for 1500 years
MiasmaBelief that bad air caused disease
Black Death1348 plague — killed about a third of England
Vesalius1543 published Fabric of the Human Body
William Harvey1628 proved blood circulates from the heart
Harvey1628 — proved blood circulates around the body
John SnowShowed cholera spread by water (Broad Street 1854)
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Learn Medicine & Health Through Time step by step
Free interactive mini-lessons: short screens, worked examples and quick checks. Pick your exam board to open its course map, then tap L on this topic:
Questions where students often pick the tempting wrong answer — make sure you know the right one:
Did medieval people know germs cause disease?✗ Yes, they understood germs.✓ No — germ theory came later (Pasteur, 1861); they blamed the Four Humours, miasma and God.
Did one person single-handedly create modern medicine?✗ Yes, one scientist did it alone.✓ No — progress relied on many people, teams and wider factors (war, government, technology).
Practise Medicine & Health Through Time — free games
Test yourself with these quick revision games for this topic:
