Here's a poll that will make you think. The medical journal BMJ asks you to identify the single most important contribution to medicine since 1840 [
Medical Milestones Poll].
It's a tough choice. I think I'll have to choose "sanitation."
[Hat Tip:
Hsien Hsien Lei who wants you to vote for DNA.]
Since 1840...
ReplyDeleteThe Romans had sanitation, although germ theory helped explain why that helped.
My votes: Hmm... tough call.
Recognition of the need for vitamins and key nutrients?
Antibiotics are seriously cool but will they be a long-lived solution?
Epidemiology as a science?
Through Vaccination we have rid the world of small pox and protect people and animals from many other diseases which killed millions in the past
ReplyDeleteI'm going to go out on a limb here and get cute ....
ReplyDeleteThe most important medical advance is Evolutionary Theory.
This would cover reproductive patterns and population dynamics of parasites, the immune system (and counter systems), organ systems, ontogeny, etc.
If forced to get more real and pick something less cute, I'd have to say the microscope. This was the technology that lead to an understanding of microbes, but also, was the physical touchstone to the idea that we had to deal with the invisible/microscopic. It is possible that even the sussing out of DNA could be traced to that. Not to mention all the day to day uses of microscopy in diagnosis.