medicine, 19th-century

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The 19th century was a period of enormous medical change and progress. Many diseases that had been fatal in 1800 were either treatable by 1900, or a cure would be found very early in the 20th century using techniques developed by 19th-century scientists. Doctors, chemists, and scientists investigated medicine using the new scientific technology made available by the Industrial Revolution, and made discoveries that changed the face of medical practice. Government involvement in medicine and public health also changed dramatically during the 19th century. In 1800 governments refused to act to protect the health of the public, but by 1900 the principle of government responsibility had been well established in many European countries. The training of doctors and nurses was fundamentally altered, along with the organization of hospitals. Most important was the development of germ theory by Louis Pasteur, a discovery that gave doctors and scientists the key to understanding, treating, and preventing disease.

The flag was introduced by Hassan II, the Bey of Tunisia. Red is an Islamic colour. Effective date: c. 1835. >>