AJKLMNOPQRS
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YearHeadlineTextMediaMedia CreditMedia CaptionMedia ThumbnailTypeGroupBackground
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-10000History of Health Design<p class="lead">Key healthcare inventions, interventions, and designs over the last 10,000 years. </p> (Studio picks marked with an asterisk.) </p>title
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-8000Surgical KnifeThe use of knives in medicine dates back to the Middle Stone Age, during which flint knives are used to bore holes in the skull, presumably to alleviate headaches by allowing demons to escape.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7a/Flint_Knife_MET_01.4.30_EGDP011665.jpg/1600px-Flint_Knife_MET_01.4.30_EGDP011665.jpg?20170711231845https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Flint_Knife_MET_01.4.30_EGDP011665.jpgFlint knife from the tomb of Khasekhemui, Egypt, c. 2949 BC
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-6190Water WellThe earliest water wells are from the Neolithic era. Some of the oldest wells in existence have been found in the settlement of Atlit-Yam in Israel and in Kissonerga in Cyprus.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/25/Well_in_Gyumri%2C_Armenia.jpg/576px-Well_in_Gyumri%2C_Armenia.jpghttps://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Well_in_Gyumri,_Armenia.jpgA modern-day water well in Armenia
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-3150SplintThe ancient Egyptians treat fractured bones with early splints made of bark wrapped in linen and held together with bandages.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f2/Surgical_splints%2C_18th_century._Wellcome_M0016499.jpg/1600px-Surgical_splints%2C_18th_century._Wellcome_M0016499.jpg?20141024235412https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Surgical_splints,_18th_century._Wellcome_M0016499.jpgSurgical leg splints designed by JH Savigny and others, 18th century
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-3100Toilet & Sewer SystemThe Neolithic village of Skara Brae features some of the earliest primitive indoor toilets. Each hut releases waste into a central drainage system that carries it to the ocean; the stone drains are lined with tree bark to make them watertight. The Indus Valley Civilization features the world's first urban sanitation systems around 2500 BC.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/66/Skara_Brae_-_geograph.org.uk_-_3912232.jpghttps://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Skara_Brae_-_geograph.org.uk_-_3912232.jpgSkara Brae, Orkney
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-3000SuturesThe ancient Egyptians use sutures made of plant fibers, hair, tendons, and wool threads, all of which have been found in mummified remains.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/85/Diagrams_illustrating_various_surgical_stitches_and_knots._C_Wellcome_V0016823.jpg/864px-Diagrams_illustrating_various_surgical_stitches_and_knots._C_Wellcome_V0016823.jpg?20141031012251https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Diagrams_illustrating_various_surgical_stitches_and_knots._C_Wellcome_V0016823.jpgDrawing of various surgical stitches and knots
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-2600Care PlanBabylonian apothecary practitioners in ancient Mesopotamia act as priest, pharmacist, and physician all in one. They use clay tablets to record a patient's symptoms, the prescription, directions for compounding, and an invocation to the gods.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/33/Medical_recipe_concerning_poisoning._Terracotta_tablet%2C_from_Nippur%2C_Iraq%2C_18th_century_BCE._Ancient_Orient_Museum%2C_Istanbul.jpg/810px-Medical_recipe_concerning_poisoning._Terracotta_tablet%2C_from_Nippur%2C_Iraq%2C_18th_century_BCE._Ancient_Orient_Museum%2C_Istanbul.jpg?20180618220603https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Medical_recipe_concerning_poisoning._Terracotta_tablet,_from_Nippur,_Iraq,_18th_century_BCE._Ancient_Orient_Museum,_Istanbul.jpgTerracotta tablet that details treatment against poisoning with prescriptions and an incantation, Nippur, Iraq, c. 1800 BCE. "Mustard, Pistacia, nuts, sweet mixed drink, meal of roast grain, thyme, bariratu-plant into wine in a small cup, you shall pour and smear on the skin, he will live."
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-2500Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve StimulationThe Egyptians recognized the analgesic effect of electrical stimulation and used electric fish to treat conditions such as headache, gout and arthritishttps://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3a/Malapterurus_Electricus_-_Electrical_Shad_%281878%29_-_TIMEA.jpg?20100917093317https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Malapterurus_Electricus_-_Electrical_Shad_(1878)_-_TIMEA.jpgMalapterurus Electricus - Electrical Shad found in the Nile
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-1550AbortionThe first recorded evidence of induced abortion is from the Egyptian Ebers Papyrus in 1550 BCE.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c5/Papyrus_Ebers.png?20070127154732https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Papyrus_Ebers.pngA reproduction of part of the Ebers Papyrus
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-950ProstheticsOne of the oldest prosthetics ever found is an artificial big toe from Egypt. Made of wood and leather, the prosthetic toe shows signs of wear, suggesting that it was functional in life and not just added during mummification.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/67/Prosthetic_toe.jpg?20071127220941https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Prosthetic_toe.jpgProsthetic toe from ancient Egypt, carved from wood and attached to the body with a leather wrapping
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-800Euthanasia *Euthanasia is practiced in ancient Greece and Rome; the term is officially coined by Francis Bacon in the 17th century.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/03/Conium_maculatum_007.jpg/1599px-Conium_maculatum_007.jpg?20200702225906https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Conium_maculatum_007.jpgPhysician-assisted suicide through the prescription of hemlock dates back to ancient Greek times. The death of Socrates in 399 BCE is attributed to Conium maculatum, colloquially known as poison hemlock.
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-700DenturesThe ancient Etruscans create the earliest dentures by fitting human (or animal) teeth with the patient's remaining teeth, secured with a metal band and pin.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/00/Copy_of_an_Etruscan_denture%2C_Europe%2C_1901-1930_Wellcome_L0058137.jpg/1599px-Copy_of_an_Etruscan_denture%2C_Europe%2C_1901-1930_Wellcome_L0058137.jpg?20141017121806https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Copy_of_an_Etruscan_denture,_Europe,_1901-1930_Wellcome_L0058137.jpgA copy of a set of Etruscan dentures from c. 700 BCE
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15Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve StimulationGreek physician Scribonius Largus identifies that electric current has analgesic properties, instructing patients to stand on an electric torpedo fish for the treatment of gout.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9a/Narke_dipterygia_Day.jpg?20070410124359https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Narke_dipterygia_Day.jpgElectric torpedo fish application for pain in the lower extremity.
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400HospitalThe earliest hospitals appear in ancient Mesopotamia, India, and Sri Lanka. The precursor of the modern hospital appears just as the Roman Empire turns to Christianity. Around 400 AD, they begin constructing monasteries with accommodations for travelers, the poor, and the sick.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/70/Nlm_nlmuid-101435987-img.jpg/1548px-Nlm_nlmuid-101435987-img.jpg?20201206163541https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nlm_nlmuid-101435987-img.jpgReconstruction of Roman military hospital at Windisch, Switzerland
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1267EyeglassesIn the earliest recorded comment on using lenses for optical purposes, English scholar Roger Bacon states that if one looks at "minute objects through the medium of a crystal or of a glass," those objects "will appear larger and therefore this instrument is useful for the aged and for those with weak eyes."https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/09/Quizzing_glass%2C_cased%2C_France%2C_1800-1820_Wellcome_L0059072.jpg/1599px-Quizzing_glass%2C_cased%2C_France%2C_1800-1820_Wellcome_L0059072.jpg?20141017170721https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Quizzing_glass,_cased,_France,_1800-1820_Wellcome_L0059072.jpgOrnate quizzing glass with case, c. 1800
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1498ToothbrushMade out of boar's hair and bamboo, the bristle toothbrush is invented in China in 1498.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ac/Toothbrush_with_horsehair_bristles%2C_London%2C_England%2C_1870-19_Wellcome_L0058098.jpg/1492px-Toothbrush_with_horsehair_bristles%2C_London%2C_England%2C_1870-19_Wellcome_L0058098.jpg?20141017120747https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Toothbrush_with_horsehair_bristles,_London,_England,_1870-19_Wellcome_L0058098.jpgToothbrush with horsehair bristles, c. 1870
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1500C-SectionThe earliest written record of a successful cesarean section occurs in Switzerland; in 1500, after several difficult days of labor, a man named Jacob Nufer performs the operation on his wife—which he is able to do only after obtaining permission from local authorities.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e1/The_birth_of_Julius_Caesar_from_his_dead_mother._Reproductio_Wellcome_V0014918.jpg/1600px-The_birth_of_Julius_Caesar_from_his_dead_mother._Reproductio_Wellcome_V0014918.jpg?20141030070209https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_birth_of_Julius_Caesar_from_his_dead_mother._Reproductio_Wellcome_V0014918.jpgOne of the earliest printed illustrations of Cesarean section, purportedly the birth of Julius Caesar. Reproduction of Suetonius' Lives of the Twelve Caesars, 1506.
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1508Contact Lenses *Although contacts are a modern invention, the first known sketches are created by da Vinci in 1508, suggesting the optics of the human eye could be altered by putting the cornea in direct contact with water.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/72/Acuvue_2_box.jpg?20201101000534https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Acuvue_2_box.jpgModern-day Acuvue contact lenses
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1543Anatomical Drawings of the Human BodyThirty-three years after da Vinci's famous drawings, physician Andreas Vesalius conducts a public human dissection and publishes a seven-volume set of anatomical illustrations, refuting previously accepted tenets of anatomy and physiology. It is considered one of the greatest advancements in the study of human anatomy.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8c/De_humani_corporis_fabrica_%2823%29.jpg?20141104111340https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:De_humani_corporis_fabrica_%2823%29.jpgWoodcut engraving from Andreas Vesalius's De humani corporis fabrica
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1543EpidemiologyIn 1543, Italian physician Girolamo Fracastoro is first to propose that imperceptible, propagating "seeds of disease" could be transmitted via direct contact, indirect contact, and the air—and promotes personal and environmental hygiene to prevent disease. Today, his theory of contagion is seen as a forerunner of modern germ theory.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e6/Fracastoro-Boissard.jpg?20130721155423https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fracastoro-Boissard.jpgPortrait of Girolamo Fracastoro
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1595WheelchairIn 1595, the first known dedicated wheelchair is made for Phillip II of Spain by an unknown inventor.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/52/Woman_in_a_Roller_Chair_at_the_1904_World%27s_Fair_%28cropped%29.jpg/953px-Woman_in_a_Roller_Chair_at_the_1904_World%27s_Fair_%28cropped%29.jpg?20200911143134https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Woman_in_a_Roller_Chair_at_the_1904_World%27s_Fair.jpgA woman in a roller chair at the 1904 World's Fair
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1600MicroscopeDutch spectacle maker Zacharias Janssen is credited with making one of the earliest compound microscopes. More advanced microscopes would later support the shift from humorism to germ theory in the mid-1800s.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Compound_microscope_by_Pritchard%2C_1825-50._Wellcome_L0011103.jpg/834px-Compound_microscope_by_Pritchard%2C_1825-50._Wellcome_L0011103.jpg?20141007025547https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Compound_microscope_by_Pritchard,_1825-50._Wellcome_L0011103.jpgCompound microscope with candle illumination made by optician and microscope maker Andrew Pritchard, 1825-50
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1670Obstetric ForcepsPeter Chamberlen the elder is credited with inventing the forceps (sometime before 1670) to safely deliver a baby in the event of a difficult birth, which leads to the establishment of forceps-assisted delivery.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/35/Chamberlen_forceps._Wellcome_L0017241.jpg/1088px-Chamberlen_forceps._Wellcome_L0017241.jpg?20141008120832https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chamberlen_forceps._Wellcome_L0017241.jpgIllustrated figures of Dr Peter Chamberlen’s obstetric forceps
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1692Disease MappingIn 1692, Fillippo Arrieta produces the earliest disease map—a spatial visualization of a strategy to contain the spread of plague in Bari, Italy. The first detailed spatial study appears around 1797 in Valentine Seaman’s maps of yellow fever in New York City. Overlaying the location of yellow fever cases with the position of sewage sites, Seaman concludes that the outbreak is linked to those areas. When a massive cholera epidemic hits Europe in the mid-19th century, disease mapping skyrockets.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/27/Snow-cholera-map-1.jpg/1277px-Snow-cholera-map-1.jpg?20201116211941https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Snow-cholera-map-1.jpgJohn Snow’s famous map of the London cholera outbreak of 1854. The cholera cases are highlighted in black, with clustered cases indicated by stacked rectangles. With this map, Snow and other scientists were able to trace the outbreak to a single infected water pump at the intersection of Broad Street and Cambridge Street.
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1710Bidet *Although there is still a debate as to whether the bidet originates in France or Italy, the earliest written mention appears in a French publication in 1710.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c3/Fauteuil_%C3%A0_l%27anglaise_et_bidet_au_XVIII_e_si%C3%A8cle.jpg/1600px-Fauteuil_%C3%A0_l%27anglaise_et_bidet_au_XVIII_e_si%C3%A8cle.jpg?20190212164514https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fauteuil_%C3%A0_l%27anglaise_et_bidet_au_XVIII_e_si%C3%A8cle.jpg18th century English armchair and bidet
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1714ThermometerThe first modern thermometer, the mercury thermometer with a standardized scale, is invented by Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit in 1714.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d2/Barthermometer_Fahrenheit%2BCelsius.jpg/900px-Barthermometer_Fahrenheit%2BCelsius.jpg?20110613081849https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Barthermometer_Fahrenheit%2BCelsius.jpgBar thermometer with Fahrenheit and Celsius
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1718TourniquetOne of the first known uses of the tourniquet occurs during the battle of Flanders in 1674. In 1718, French surgeon Jean Louis Petit is one of many to invent an improvement. The Petit tourniquet contains a screw mechanism that allows the user to interrupt blood circulation without assistance from another person.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c6/Petit-type_tourniquet%2C_London%2C_England%2C_1823-1829_Wellcome_L0057846.jpg/1599px-Petit-type_tourniquet%2C_London%2C_England%2C_1823-1829_Wellcome_L0057846.jpg?20141017105333https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Petit-type_tourniquet,_London,_England,_1823-1829_Wellcome_L0057846.jpgPetit-type tourniquet from London, England, 1823-1829
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1770ScaleThe earliest design for a spring scale dates to 1770 and is credited to British balance maker Richard Salter.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/27/Withings-bodyscale.jpg/1600px-Withings-bodyscale.jpg?20100805064834https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Withings-bodyscale.jpgWithings body scale
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1778InhalerEnglish doctor John Mudge coins the term "inhaler" for a device that generates and delivers steam-based aerosols. It consists of a pewter tankard with a lid that connects with a tube and mouthpiece, through which the patient inhales.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/86/Mudge_inhaler.jpg?20160123090016https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mudge_inhaler.jpgInhaler designed by John Mudge in 1778
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1792TriageNow considered the first modern military surgeon, Dominique Jean Larrey becomes assistant surgeon in the French Army in 1792 and develops the idea of horse-drawn "flying ambulances" to ensure rapid evacuation of the wounded. He also introduces the concept of triage: prioritizing care based on injury severity rather than military rank.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1c/Larrey%27s_Flying_Ambulance.jpg/1600px-Larrey%27s_Flying_Ambulance.jpg?20210617011636https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Larrey%27s_Flying_Ambulance.jpgBaron Larrey’s flying ambulance
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1796VaccinationEnglish physician Edward Jenner develops the first world's first successful vaccine, inoculating an 8-year-old boy with pus from a milkmaid's cowpox lesion. Six weeks later, Jenner inoculates him again with smallpox, to which he is now immune.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/70/Edward_Jenner_vaccinating_a_boy._Oil_painting_by_E.-E._Hille_Wellcome_L0029094_%28cropped%29.jpg/1600px-Edward_Jenner_vaccinating_a_boy._Oil_painting_by_E.-E._Hille_Wellcome_L0029094_%28cropped%29.jpg?20221009054551https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Edward_Jenner_vaccinating_a_boy._Oil_painting_by_E.-E._Hille_Wellcome_L0029094.jpgEdward Jenner vaccinating a boy, oil painting by Eugene-Ernest Hillemacher
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1815Dental FlossLevi Spear Parmly, a dentist from New Orleans, is credited with inventing the first form of dental floss.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/75/Jordan_Whitening_floss.jpg/1370px-Jordan_Whitening_floss.jpg?20180106175043https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jordan_Whitening_floss.jpgJordan Whitening dental floss
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1816StethoscopeAn early version of the stethoscope is invented in France in 1816 by René Laennec at the Necker-Enfants Malades Hospital in Paris. Instead of placing his ear on the patient's chest, he rolls a sheet of paper into a tube and places it between his ear and the woman’s heart.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bf/Laennec-type_monaural_stethoscope%2C_France%2C_1851-1900_Wellcome_L0057235.jpg/1599px-Laennec-type_monaural_stethoscope%2C_France%2C_1851-1900_Wellcome_L0057235.jpg?20141017075843https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Laennec-type_monaural_stethoscope,_France,_1851-1900_Wellcome_L0057235.jpg19th-century stethoscope, owned by Dr. Paul-Ferdinand Gachet
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1818Blood TransfusionIn 1818, British physician James Blundell performs the first successful human-to-human blood transfusion. In 1901, Austrian physician Karl Landsteiner discovers the first three human blood groups, leading to safe transfusions among compatible blood groups.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/24/Blood_Transfusion%2C_1965.jpg?20200423222053https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Blood_Transfusion,_1965.jpgA patient in the general hospital receives a blood transfusion, 1965
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1830AutopsyThe term is derived from the Greek word "autopsia," "to see for oneself." Carl von Rokitansky (1804–1878) and Rudolph Virchow (1821–1902) are largely responsible for laying the foundations of anatomical pathology, i.e., the study of organs and tissues to determine the causes and effects of diseases.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/98/4841940754_087e531e73_bAutopsie.jpg/1600px-4841940754_087e531e73_bAutopsie.jpg?20130401155239https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:4841940754_087e531e73_bAutopsie.jpgAutopsy dissection kit with weighing scale
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1830Arm SlingMathias Mayor develops a specific use for a pair of bandages called the “mayor’s scarf," introducing the concept of arm-to-the-body immobilization for fractures.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3f/Sling-and-swathe.svg/774px-Sling-and-swathe.svg.png?20200323191030https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sling-and-swathe.svgIllustration of the sling-and-swathe technique for arm fractures
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1831ElectricityThales of Miletus, William Gilbert, Benjamin Franklin, Alessandro Volta, and others contribute to the discovery of electricity over the years. In 1831, electricity becomes viable for use in technology when Michael Faraday creates the electric dynamo, which generates an electric current and sets the stage for Edison's invention of the incandescent light bulb and many more.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/20/London_MMB_%C2%BB1E6_Lightning.jpg/1022px-London_MMB_%C2%BB1E6_Lightning.jpg?20151230113101https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:London_MMB_%C2%BB1E6_Lightning.jpgLightning over the Isle of Dogs, London
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1832IV Fluid TherapyIntravenous fluids are invented in England during a cholera epidemic. Dr. Thomas Latta of Leith performs the first successful intravenous resuscitation with a homemade saline solution.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/28/%D0%9C%D0%B5%D0%B4%D1%81%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%82%D1%80%D0%B0-%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%BA%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%82%D0%BA%D0%B0_%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%82_%D0%BA%D0%B0%D0%BF%D0%BF%D0%B5%D0%BB%D1%8C%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%86%D1%83_%D0%BF%D0%B0%D1%86%D0%B8%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%82%D1%83.jpg/798px-%D0%9C%D0%B5%D0%B4%D1%81%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%82%D1%80%D0%B0-%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%BA%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%82%D0%BA%D0%B0_%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%82_%D0%BA%D0%B0%D0%BF%D0%BF%D0%B5%D0%BB%D1%8C%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%86%D1%83_%D0%BF%D0%B0%D1%86%D0%B8%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%82%D1%83.jpg?20190610070608https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%D0%9C%D0%B5%D0%B4%D1%81%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%82%D1%80%D0%B0-%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%BA%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%82%D0%BA%D0%B0_%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%82_%D0%BA%D0%B0%D0%BF%D0%BF%D0%B5%D0%BB%D1%8C%D0%BD%D0%B8%D1%86%D1%83_%D0%BF%D0%B0%D1%86%D0%B8%D0%B5%D0%BD%D1%82%D1%83.jpgIntravenous therapy
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1834Gelatin CapsuleFrench pharmacy student Mr. Francois Achille Barnabe Mothes patents the first gelatin capsule.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/75/Arranging_capsules.jpg/1600px-Arranging_capsules.jpg?20231130085110https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Arranging_capsules.jpgPharmaceutical laboratory worker arranges capsules used for medicine
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1842The Sanitary ReportEnglish social reformer Edwin Chadwick leads a team of commissioners traveling the country and documenting the lives of the poor. Chadwick's "Report on the Sanitary Condition of the Labouring Population of Great Britain" includes statistics and descriptive evidence to highlight the discrepancies in life expectancy based on class and residence. Six years later, the Public Health Act is passed, prompting innovations in drainage systems, garbage disposal, and housing ventilation.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/79/Chadwick%27s_sanitary_map_of_Leeds._Wellcome_L0009781.jpg/1600px-Chadwick%27s_sanitary_map_of_Leeds._Wellcome_L0009781.jpg?20141006213539https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chadwick%27s_sanitary_map_of_Leeds._Wellcome_L0009781.jpg"Sanitary Map of the Town of Leeds," from Chadwick's "Report on the Sanitary Condition of the Labouring Population of Great Britain"
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1844Rubber VulcanizationGoodyear perfects the process of mixing sulfur and rubber at a high temperature and patents the process in 1844. He names his discovery vulcanization, after Vulcan, the Roman god of fire.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Women_at_work_in_a_Lancashire_Rubber_Factory_Q28232.jpg?20130126012922https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Women_at_work_in_a_Lancashire_Rubber_Factory_Q28232.jpgLancashire Rubber Factor workers
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1845National Public Health CampaignsPublic health awareness campaigns are marketing efforts designed to educate people about diseases and health hazards and to promote behaviors that improve health or prevent disease. One of the earliest examples occurs after a severe epidemic in 1845: the Ottoman Empire focuses on educating the public and making the cowpox vaccine available. Thanks to anti-smoking campaigns in the US, cigarette smoking among adults decline from approximately 42% in 1965 to 14% in 2019. The MTV Shuga "edu-tainment" campaigns (2009-2023) target HIV/AIDS prevention among young people in Africa, increasing knowledge of transmission and prevention, condom use, and HIV testing rates. Australia's Dumb Ways to Die campaign (2012) leads to a significant reduction in risky behaviors around trains and train-related accidents.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/20/American_Cancer_Society_-_Nov_1975_Byte_PSA.jpg/890px-American_Cancer_Society_-_Nov_1975_Byte_PSA.jpg?20210502212758https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:American_Cancer_Society_-_Nov_1975_Byte_PSA.jpgAnti-smoking PSA in Byte magazine, 1975
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1846AnesthesiologyOn October 16, 1846, dentist William T.G. Morton works with surgeon John Collins Warren to perform the first successful surgical procedure with anesthesia at Massachusetts General Hospital.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/ba/An_Afghan_child_is_prepared_for_anesthesia_before_undergoing_a_hydrocelectomy_at_Forward_Operating_Base_Farah_in_Farah_province%2C_Afghanistan%2C_April_10%2C_2010_100410-F-KC691-002.jpg/1600px-thumbnail.jpg?20140403233257https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:An_Afghan_child_is_prepared_for_anesthesia_before_undergoing_a_hydrocelectomy_at_Forward_Operating_Base_Farah_in_Farah_province,_Afghanistan,_April_10,_2010_100410-F-KC691-002.jpgA child is prepared for anesthesia before undergoing surgery
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1853Hypodermic SyringeIn 1650, Blaise Pascal creates the first syringe for medicine infusion. In 1853, Scottish doctor Alexander Wood combines the syringe with Francis Rynd's hollow needle to create a hypodermic syringe. With this syringe, he is able to inject pain relief medicine to the area causing the pain.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/25/Original_hypodermic_syringe_of_Dr._Alexander_Wood._Wellcome_M0009706.jpg/1599px-Original_hypodermic_syringe_of_Dr._Alexander_Wood._Wellcome_M0009706.jpg?20141023172656https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Original_hypodermic_syringe_of_Dr._Alexander_Wood._Wellcome_M0009706.jpgOriginal hypodermic syringe of Dr. Alexander Wood
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1854Doctor Bag *The first doctor's bag, known as the Gladstone bag, is created by London leather dealer J. G. Beard and named after Prime Minister William Gladstone.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f1/%E2%80%98Gladstone_bag%E2%80%99_of_valies_van_bruin_leer_met_reptielenprint%2C_twee_handvatten%2C_gevoerd_met_bruin_leer%2C_objectnr_69814.JPG/1600px-%E2%80%98Gladstone_bag%E2%80%99_of_valies_van_bruin_leer_met_reptielenprint%2C_twee_handvatten%2C_gevoerd_met_bruin_leer%2C_objectnr_69814.JPG?20200303065757https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%E2%80%98Gladstone_bag%E2%80%99_of_valies_van_bruin_leer_met_reptielenprint,_twee_handvatten,_gevoerd_met_bruin_leer,_objectnr_69814.JPGGladstone bag
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1854Breast PumpSome of the earliest milk-extracting devices come from Greece, where archaeologists have unearthed ceramic guttae from the 5th century. O.H. Needham receives the first patent for a breast pump on June 20, 1854.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2f/Ameda_lactaline_personal_breast_pump.JPG/1599px-Ameda_lactaline_personal_breast_pump.JPG?20090313100848https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ameda_lactaline_personal_breast_pump.JPGAmeda Lactaline breast pump
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1858Rubber CondomEarly condoms are made of oiled silk paper, linen, and animal intestines. Charles Goodyear and Thomas Hancock discover the rubber vulcanization process and invent the first rubber condom shortly after, around 1858.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c4/Gay_pride_507_-_Marche_des_fiert%C3%A9s_Toulouse_2011.jpghttps://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gay_pride_507_-_Marche_des_fiert%C3%A9s_Toulouse_2011.jpgAssorted condoms
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1859"Notes on Hospitals" by Florence NightingaleThe modern hospital 1870-1940https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e6/St._Thomas%27s_Hospital%3B_the_%22Florence_Nightingale%22_Ward_with_Wellcome_V0013572.jpg/1600px-St._Thomas%27s_Hospital%3B_the_%22Florence_Nightingale%22_Ward_with_Wellcome_V0013572.jpg?20141029203247https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:St._Thomas%27s_Hospital;_the_%22Florence_Nightingale%22_Ward_with_Wellcome_V0013572.jpgSt. Thomas's Hospital, the "Florence Nightingale" Ward, c. 1860
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1862PasteurizationIn the 1860s, Louis Pasteur discovers that heating wine to a sufficiently high temperature for a long enough time kills the living microbes that cause spoilage. In 1886, German agricultural chemist Frans von Soxhlet suggests pasteurizing milk to be sold to the public. This prevents infections like tuberculosis, scarlet fever, typhoid fever, and diptheria.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9f/Atat%C3%BCrk_Forest_Farm%2C_Pasteurized_Milk_Factory%2C_workers%2C_1939_%2816851408511%29.jpg/1920px-Atat%C3%BCrk_Forest_Farm%2C_Pasteurized_Milk_Factory%2C_workers%2C_1939_%2816851408511%29.jpghttps://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:History_of_Atat%C3%BCrk_Forest_Farm#/media/File:Atat%C3%BCrk_Forest_Farm,_Pasteurized_Milk_Factory,_workers,_1939_(16851408511).jpgAtaturk Forest Farm's Pasteurized Milk Factory in Turkey, 1939
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1865AntisepsisAntisepsis is the method of using chemicals (antiseptics) to destroy the germs that cause infections. After reading Louis Pasteur's papers of germ theory, British surgeon Joseph Lister hypothesizes that the process causing fermentation is also involved with wound sepsis. He promotes sterilization in surgery using carbolic acid as an antiseptic, which reduces the incidence of wound sepsis and gangrene, which then reduces the need for amputation. By showing how to prevent germs from entering the wound, Lister increases the safety of surgical operations and lays the foundation for subsequent advances in the field.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6d/Use_of_the_Lister_carbolic_spray%2C_Antiseptic_surgery%2C_1882._Wellcome_M0003436.jpg/1476px-Use_of_the_Lister_carbolic_spray%2C_Antiseptic_surgery%2C_1882._Wellcome_M0003436.jpg?20141022174337https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Use_of_the_Lister_carbolic_spray,_Antiseptic_surgery,_1882._Wellcome_M0003436.jpgUse of the Lister carbolic spray in antiseptic surgery, 1882
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1870Infant IncubatorIn 1860, Carl Credé releases his incubator model in Germany. In 1880, Stéphane Tarnier independently develops his model after visiting a zoo exhibit with a bird egg incubator. After seeing the incubator exhibit featuring premature babies at Berlin's World Fair in 1896, Martin Couney opens two such incubator exhibits in the United States (where ticket proceeds support neonatal care) as a pioneer of neonatology in the US.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0f/Manager%2C_Mr._E.M._Bayliss_and_nurses_attending_babies_in_the_Baby_Incubator_exhibit_on_the_Pike_at_the_1904_World%27s_Fair.jpg/1530px-Manager%2C_Mr._E.M._Bayliss_and_nurses_attending_babies_in_the_Baby_Incubator_exhibit_on_the_Pike_at_the_1904_World%27s_Fair.jpg?20170817121158https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Manager,_Mr._E.M._Bayliss_and_nurses_attending_babies_in_the_Baby_Incubator_exhibit_on_the_Pike_at_the_1904_World%27s_Fair.jpgNurses caring for infants in the incubator exhibit at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, i.e. St. Louis World's Fair, 1904
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1873CrematoriumAlthough humans have been laying their loved ones to rest through cremation since the early Stone Age, Professor Ludovico Brunetti is first to create a cremation furnace in 1873. The first Italian crematorium opens on February 21, 1876 in Milan.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/49/Cuptor_-_Crematoriul_Cenusa_-_Retort_-_Cenusa_Crematorium.jpg/1599px-Cuptor_-_Crematoriul_Cenusa_-_Retort_-_Cenusa_Crematorium.jpg?20170526135506https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cuptor_-_Crematoriul_Cenusa_-_Retort_-_Cenusa_Crematorium.jpgCenusa Crematorium in Bucharest
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1876Surgical Loupes (Magnifying Glasses)The first surgical loupes date back to 1876—German ophthalmologist Carl von Hess uses a pair of convex lenses with a light source mounted on a headband.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cc/Cardiac_surgeon_wearing_loupes.jpg?20141105165403https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cardiac_surgeon_wearing_loupes.jpgSurgeon wearing surgical loupes
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1880StretcherJohn Furley (1836-1919) invents the Furley stretcher, as mentioned in the Order of St John’s Annual Report of 1880. He is also credited with inventing the Ashford litter, which combines the stretcher with wheels and a canvas cover to transport injured WWI soldiers.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b2/1911_Ashford_Hand_Litter_-_Civil_Ambulance_%26_Transport_Brigade_%2814703412390%29.jpghttps://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1911_Ashford_Hand_Litter_-_Civil_Ambulance_%26_Transport_Brigade_(14703412390).jpg1911 Ashford litter
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1888First Aid KitWhile traveling on the Denver & Rio Grande railroad, Robert Wood Johnson, co-founder of Johnson & Johnson, learns that railroad workers often sustain fatal injuries due to lack of access to medical supplies. After consulting railroad surgeons on essential medical supplies, he creates the first commercial First Aid Kit.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7c/First_Aid_box%2C_Red_Cross.JPG/1600px-First_Aid_box%2C_Red_Cross.JPG?20151217132023https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:First_Aid_box,_Red_Cross.JPGFirst Aid Kit from the National Liberation Museum collection, 1944-1945
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1890Rubber GlovesIn 1890, William Halsted develops the first rubber surgical gloves in the United States for his scrub nurse (and later wife), Caroline Hampton. She introduces the habit of wearing gloves to other nurses and assistants. In 1893, Dr. Joseph Bloodgood begins wearing gloves during operations and notices a drastic decline in postsurgery infections. Though his findings are met with initial backlash in 1899, gloves are eventually adopted as the norm.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/47/200417-N-DA693-1179_%2849799356527%29.jpg/1599px-200417-N-DA693-1179_%2849799356527%29.jpg?20200425231741https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:200417-N-DA693-1179_(49799356527).jpgNurse removes nitrile gloves upon exiting the operating room
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1891Artificial HipIn 1891, the German surgeon Themistocles Gluck invents an early hip replacement implant, a ball-and-socket joint made of ivory and fixed to the bone with nickel-plated screws.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/74/Replacement_surgery_-_Total_hip_replacement_--_Smart-Servier.png/658px-Replacement_surgery_-_Total_hip_replacement_--_Smart-Servier.png?20190929002804https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Replacement_surgery_-_Total_hip_replacement_--_Smart-Servier.pngDiagram of total hip replacement
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1894Bone SawItalian obstetrician Leonardo Gigli designs the first bone saw, i.e., the Gigli saw, mainly for when the bones must be cut smoothly at the level of amputation. A version of his wire saw is still in use today.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/17/Gigli_saw.svg/960px-Gigli_saw.svg.png?20120102173100https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gigli_saw.svgGigli wire saw
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1894Baby BottleIn the early 19th century, the lack of proper milk storage and sterilization leads to the death of one third of all artificially fed infants in their first year of life—early baby bottles are nicknamed "murder bottles." In 1894, Allen and Hanbury introduce a design with a removable valve and teat. Easier to clean, it's known as the "hygienic baby bottle." Subsequent improvements in our understanding of disease transmission begin to reduce infant mortality.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b1/The_Glaxo_Feeder_8oz_nursing_bottle_in_original_box_-_DPLA_-_c9231acc767faca11796d254cbc876fe.jpg/1600px-The_Glaxo_Feeder_8oz_nursing_bottle_in_original_box_-_DPLA_-_c9231acc767faca11796d254cbc876fe.jpg?20221005032009https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Glaxo_Feeder_8oz_nursing_bottle_in_original_box_-_DPLA_-_c9231acc767faca11796d254cbc876fe.jpgGlaxo Feeder 8oz, banana-shaped baby bottle that enabled thorough cleaning
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1895X-RayGerman professor Wilhelm Conrad Rontgen (1845-1923) discovers the X-ray on November 8, 1895.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/79/First_medical_X-ray_by_Wilhelm_R%C3%B6ntgen_of_his_wife_Anna_Bertha_Ludwig%27s_hand_-_18951222.jpg?20161118110034https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:First_medical_X-ray_by_Wilhelm_R%C3%B6ntgen_of_his_wife_Anna_Bertha_Ludwig%27s_hand_-_18951222.jpgX-ray image of Anna Bertha Ludwig's left hand, 1895
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1897Face MaskIn 1897, Carl Friedrich Flugge and Johannes von Mikulicz release a publication on performing operations with a "mouth bandage," a one-layered mask made of gauze, to protect the patient from contamination and surgical site infection.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/94/Face_Masks_used_to_prevent_the_spread_of_COVID-19_and_other_diseases.jpg/1600px-Face_Masks_used_to_prevent_the_spread_of_COVID-19_and_other_diseases.jpg?20200409184722https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Face_Masks_used_to_prevent_the_spread_of_COVID-19_and_other_diseases.jpgModern-day surgical face masks
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1898Hearing AidIn 1898, Miller Reese Hutchison builds the first portable electric hearing aid for a college friend.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bf/Hearingg_aids.png?20210428212915https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hearingg_aids.pngModern-day hearing aid
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1900ChemotherapyPaul Ehrlich aids in the transition from experimental pharmacology to pharmacological therapeutics, which leads to the birth of chemotherapy. Ehrlich believes that experimental therapeutics should reproduce diseases in animals and proceed to the evaluation of drugs, rather than being limited to the study of healthy animals or tissues, which was the accepted practice at the time. He also establishes a systematic approach to chemical synthesis in the interest of creating new drugs.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/43/Paul_Ehrlich_at_work_in_his_laboratory_Wellcome_M0013272.jpg/750px-Paul_Ehrlich_at_work_in_his_laboratory_Wellcome_M0013272.jpg?20141024095123https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Paul_Ehrlich_at_work_in_his_laboratory_Wellcome_M0013272.jpgPaul Ehrlich in his laboratory
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1901Pacifier *Manhattan pharmacist Christian W. Meinecke applies for a patent for “a new and original design" for a pacifier, then known as a baby comforter. It consists of an India rubber nipple attached to a shield that prevented the nipple from being swallowed. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/24/Forgotten_pacifier_on_a_table_in_R%C3%B6e_g%C3%A5rd_cafe_alt.jpg/1600px-Forgotten_pacifier_on_a_table_in_R%C3%B6e_g%C3%A5rd_cafe_alt.jpg?20190728221937https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Forgotten_pacifier_on_a_table_in_R%C3%B6e_g%C3%A5rd_cafe_alt.jpgModern-day baby pacifier
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1907PlasticsIn 1907 Leo Baekeland invents Bakelite, the first fully synthetic plastic. Bakelite is insulating, durable, and heat-resistant—ideally suited for mass production. Marketed as “the material of a thousand uses,” Bakelite could be shaped or molded into almost anything. It is eventually superseded by dozens of different plastics like polyethylene and PVC that are still produced today.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fb/Bakelite_Buttons_2007.068_%2866948%29.jpg?20130619164021https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bakelite_Buttons_2007.068_(66948).jpgBakelite plastic buttons of various shapes and sizes
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1908Surgical StaplesThe first surgical stapler is invented in 1908 by Victor Fischer and Humer Hultl for tissue or skin closure.https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Skin_stapler_01.jpgVisistat skin stapler demonstrated on a pillow
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1909IUDGerman physician Richard Richter publishes the first paper on intrauterine device insertions in 1909. The device is a ring made of silkworm gut, with 2 ends which protrude from the openings in the cervix at each end of the endocervical canal.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/49/Mirena_IUD_with_hand.jpg/1600px-Mirena_IUD_with_hand.jpg?20161208175117https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mirena_IUD_with_hand.jpgModern-day Mirena IUD
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1909Synthetic FertilizersGerman chemists Fritz Haber and Carl Bosch devise a way to transform nitrogen in the air into fertilizer, using what becomes known as the Haber-Bosch process.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ad/A_typical_fertilizer_application_pump_system.jpg?20200325203725https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:A_typical_fertilizer_application_pump_system.jpgA farmer in Myanmar with a fertilizer application pump system
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1910First Human LaparoscopyLaparoscopy, also known as minimally invasive surgery, allows doctors to view and operate on the internal organs in the abdomen and pelvis without making large incisions. German physician Georg Kelling (1866-1945) performs the first laparoscopy on a dog in 1901, using a cystoscope to visualize the space within the abdomen. Swedish surgeon Hans Christian Jacobaeus performs the first clinical laparoscopic surgery on a human in 1910.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3a/Blausen_0602_Laparoscopy_02.png/1200px-Blausen_0602_Laparoscopy_02.png?20140211180759https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Blausen_0602_Laparoscopy_02.pngLaparoscopy diagram
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1910Lead ApronAround 1900-1910, the harmful effects of X-ray radiation become clearer, and research focuses on radiation protection, a key topic at the first German Radiology Congress in 1905. As a result, protective equipment is developed and becomes commercially available.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/74/Radiation_protection_apron.jpg/1600px-Radiation_protection_apron.jpg?20220819150413https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Radiation_protection_apron.jpgLead apron, for use as protection for X-ray technician, 1920 to 1958
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1917CrutchesAlthough crutches have been in use since ancient Egyptian times, in 1917, Emile Schlick patents the first commercially produced crutch, a walking stick with a support for the upper arm.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c3/Man_walking_on_crutches_PK-P-111.695.jpg?20210123170724https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Man_walking_on_crutches_PK-P-111.695.jpgAmputee walking with crutches, illustrated by Willem Basse
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1918Ace BandageOscar O. R. Schwidetzky is credited with the first development of the American-made ACE (All Cotton Elastic) Bandage in 1918.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/30/Bandage_02.jpg?20090323211629https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bandage_02.jpgA roll of elastic bandage
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1920Hospital Gown *The earliest hospital gown is from about 100 years ago, designed for patients admitted the night before surgery.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/77/A_Patient_Anonymised_by_Hospital_Life-_unframed_version_Wellcome_L0037325.jpg/995px-A_Patient_Anonymised_by_Hospital_Life-_unframed_version_Wellcome_L0037325.jpg?20141012134938https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:A_Patient_Anonymised_by_Hospital_Life-_unframed_version_Wellcome_L0037325.jpgPatient in a hospital gown
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1920Band-AidThe Band-Aid is created in 1920 by Johnson & Johnson employee Earle Dickson. His wife Josephine gets frequent cuts and burns while cooking, and one day he brings some cotton gauze and adhesive tape home from work. By laying down a narrow strip of gauze onto the tape and rerolling it with a crinoline backing, he creates the first band-aid. Although J&J is quick to pick up the idea and manufacture it, it's such a new concept that it's not immediately popularized. Sales only total $3,000 in the first year. J&J relies on traveling salesmen to demonstrate the product to medical providers across the country.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/21/Band-Aid_tins_%281942%2C_1958%29.jpg/1600px-Band-Aid_tins_%281942%2C_1958%29.jpg?20231107021000https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Band-Aid_tins_%281942%2C_1958%29.jpgBand-Aid tins from 1942 and 1958, National Museum of American History
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1923Cotton Swab *After observing his wife as she uses cotton wads on toothpicks to clean their baby's ears, Leo Gerstenzang invents the Q-tip.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/55/Cotton_swabs_%28or_cotton_buds%29_-in_round_container.jpg/1600px-Cotton_swabs_%28or_cotton_buds%29_-in_round_container.jpg?20080409143024https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cotton_swabs_%28or_cotton_buds%29_-in_round_container.jpgCotton swabs
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1924Kleenex *In 1924, Kimberly-Clark introduces Kleenex tissues as a cold cream and makeup remover.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c1/Kleenex-small-box.jpg/937px-Kleenex-small-box.jpg?20100911185620https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kleenex-small-box.jpgKleenex tissues
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1927Iron LungThe first tank respirator is invented in 1927 in Boston, Massachusetts. Philip Drinker and Louis Agassiz Shaw create a machine that can maintain respiration, pulling air in and out of the lungs by changing the pressure in a metal box. It is powered by an electric motor with two vacuum cleaners.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f8/Iron_Lung_%28061%29_%287184148409%29.jpg/1600px-Iron_Lung_%28061%29_%287184148409%29.jpg?20160909140527https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Iron_Lung_%28061%29_%287184148409%29.jpgAn iron lung hospital ward
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1928AntibioticsIn 1928, Scottish physician-scientist Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin, the first antibiotic. It is mass-produced in 1943 and saves thousands of lives during WWII.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/09/Novamoxin_%28amoxicillin%29%2C_24_June_2010.jpg/1599px-Novamoxin_%28amoxicillin%29%2C_24_June_2010.jpg?20150502050526https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Novamoxin_%28amoxicillin%29%2C_24_June_2010.jpgNovamoxin 500 mg, manufactured by Novopharm, Canada
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1929Baby FormulaIn 1865, chemist Justus von Liebig patents infant formula consisting of cow's milk, wheat and malt flour, and potassium bicarbonate. However, artificial feeding continues to be associated with infant deaths until the public accepts germ theory c. 1890-1910, at which point emphasis is placed on sanitation and quality of milk supplies. In 1929, the American Medical Association forms the Committee on Foods to approve the safety and quality of formula composition. By the 1950s, the use of formula is widely regarded as a safe substitute for breastmilk.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/29/Infant_formula.jpg?20231123204830https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Infant_formula.jpgBaby formula
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1931TamponAlthough there is mention of tampon use in ancient Egyptian medical records, it isn't until 1931 that Dr. Earle Haas patents the modern-day tampon, complete with cardboard applicator.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d1/Tampon_with_plastic_applicator.jpg/1600px-Tampon_with_plastic_applicator.jpg?20150604071842https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tampon_with_plastic_applicator.jpgTampon with plastic applicator
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1933Waterjet Cutting TechnologyIn 1933, the Paper Patents Company in Wisconsin patents the first waterjet to cut a horizontally moving sheet of paper. In 1968, Norman Franz patents the "high-velocity liquid jet," a tool for cutting lumber. The first medical application of waterjet cutting technology occurs in 1980 for cutting bones and endoprosthesis.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/10/Waterjet_cutting_machine.jpg/1599px-Waterjet_cutting_machine.jpg?20191025145242https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Waterjet_cutting_machine.jpgWaterjet cutting machine
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1940Hazmat SuitThe origins of the hazmat suit lie in the Manchurian plague of 1910. Dr. Wu Lien-teh believes that the plague was airborne and insists that doctors, nurses, and burial staff wear a gauze mask that he designed. It's the first time that a mask is devised for epidemic use. He is initially ridiculed by his peers, but when a well-known doctor operates maskless to prove Wu wrong and dies soon after, everything changes. By the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918, mask-wearing becomes commonplace. The modern civilian version of the hazmat suit goes into production in 1940 by private American company MSA.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0e/The_Doctors%E2%80%99_Defense_Against_Infection.jpg/1494px-The_Doctors%E2%80%99_Defense_Against_Infection.jpg?20201225154421https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Doctors%E2%80%99_Defense_Against_Infection.jpgDoctors in protective clothing during the Manchurian plague, c. 1910
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1946SunscreenFranz Greiter, an Austrian scientist, develops and commercializes the first modern sunscreen. In 1962, he invents the sun protection factor (SPF) rating, which is still the global standard for measuring UVB protection.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6b/There%27s_nothing_like_a_Coppertone_tan%2C_says_Jo_Morrow%2C_1960.jpghttps://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:There%27s_nothing_like_a_Coppertone_tan,_says_Jo_Morrow,_1960.jpgCoppertone sunscreen advertisement, 1960
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1947Cardiac DefibrillatorIn 1933, electrical engineer William Kouwenhoven's team discovers that, by applying a second surge of electricity to a dog’s fibrillating heart, a normal rhythm is restored. They apply their finding to open-chest cardiac resuscitation techniques, which results in the first successful use of an electric defibrillator on a human heart, by Claude Beck in 1947. The team invents their first closed-chest defibrillators for human use in 1957. In 1961 Kouwenhoven’s team introduces the first portable defibrillator. Irish physician Frank Pantridge's portable defibrillator (1963) is the predecessor of today’s modern automated external defibrillator.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/31/1947_defibrillator.jpg/1600px-1947_defibrillator.jpg?20231123080809https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1947_defibrillator.jpgBeck's defibrillator prototype, 1947
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1953WalkerThe walker is designed to provide additional support and balance for the elderly and the disabled. The first US patent is awarded in 1953 to William Cribbes Robb of Stretford, UK and is followed by several variations.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4b/Front_Wheel_Walker.jpg/900px-Front_Wheel_Walker.jpg?20200703180801https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Front_Wheel_Walker.jpgFront-wheeled walker
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1954Toilet Seat RiserIn April 1954, Edgar L Malin files one of the earliest patents for an adjustable toilet seat specifically for people with disabilities, listed for people "who, through back injuries... are permitted only a limited slight angulan bending of the spinal column." Today, there are many brands and types of assistive toilet seat risers designed to address the needs of people with limited mobility.https://patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/64/eb/bb/104ea23e2fbfce/US2790182-drawings-page-1.pnghttps://patents.google.com/patent/US2790182A/enDiagram of Malin's extension toilet seat, one of many similar devices to be patented
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1955Polio VaccineUS physician Jonas Salk tests his experimental killed-virus vaccine on himself and his family in 1953, and a year later on 1.6 million children in Canada, Finland, and the USA. The inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) is licensed on April 12, 1955. Six pharmaceutical companies are licensed to produce IPV. When asked who owned the patent for IPV, he replied: “Well, the people, I would say. There is no patent. Could you patent the sun?”https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/13/Jonas_Salk_1988.jpg/1008px-Jonas_Salk_1988.jpg?20091118190202https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jonas_Salk_1988.jpgDr. Jonas Salk during a visit to the CDC, 1988
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1956Menstrual PadBefore the invention of disposable pads, women used menstrual rags, cotton, and sheep’s wool. In 1897, Johnson and Johnson debuts Lister's Towels, one of the first disposable sanitary pads, followed by Kotex in 1919. The first pad with an adhesive is invented by Mary Beatrice Davidson Kenner in 1956.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f2/Sanitary_napkin.tif/lossy-page1-856px-Sanitary_napkin.tif.jpg?20160211092725https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sanitary_napkin.tifDrawing of a sanitary napkin
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1958PacemakerThe first external cardiac pacemakers are independently developed by Australian anesthesiologist Mark Lidwell and American physiologist Albert Hyman. While working on a device for recording tachycardias, electrical engineer Wilson Greatbatch discovers a way to create an implantable pacemaker that generates a pulse if the patient's heartbeat has stopped. On May 7, 1958, Greatbatch, Dr. William Chardack, and Dr. Andrew Gage test the device on a dog. Later, Greatbatch writes, “I seriously doubt if anything I ever do will give me the elation I felt that day when a 2 cubic inch electronic device of my own design controlled a living heart.”https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/81/Cardiovascular_system_-_Pacemaker_--_Smart-Servier.png?20230120105910https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cardiovascular_system_-_Pacemaker_--_Smart-Servier.pngDiagram of pacemaker
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1959Seat BeltVolvo engineer Nils Bohlin invents the three-point seat belt. He receives a gold medal from the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Science in 1995 and is inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame in 1999. It has since saved a million lives and reduces the chance of injury or death by at least 50% in the event of a collision.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/40/Female_driver_buckling_seatbelt.jpg/800px-Female_driver_buckling_seatbelt.jpg?20160310214444https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Female_driver_buckling_seatbelt.jpgA driver fastening a three-point seat belt
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1960CPRResuscitation pioneers Drs. Kouwenhoven, Safar, and Jude combine mouth-to-mouth breathing with chest compressions to create cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR. The American Heart Association starts a program to teach physicians about closed-chest cardiac resuscitation, the predecessor of today's CPR training.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/82/CPR_training-05.jpg/1599px-CPR_training-05.jpg?20080229121413https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:CPR_training-05.jpgCPR training
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1960Oral ContraceptivesIn 1960, FDA approves the first birth control pill, the development of which is made possible by activist Margaret Sanger, philanthropist Katherine McCormick, biologist Gregory Pincus, and OB-GYN John Rock. Reliable contraception has led to smaller families, longer intervals between childbirth, and a subsequent decline in infant, child, and maternal deaths.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1d/Pilule_contraceptive.jpg/1600px-Pilule_contraceptive.jpg?20060118022842https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pilule_contraceptive.jpgContraceptive pill packs
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1960Flexible Fiberoptic EndoscopeIn the late 1950s, Dr. Basil Hirschowitz and then-undergrad Larry Curtiss design the first flexible endoscope, made possible by glass-clad optical glass fibers. The first commercial fiberoptic endoscope is introduced in 1960 and revolutionizes the practice of gastroenterology. Flexible sigmoidoscopy is introduced by Dr. Bergein Overholt in 1962. Determined to combine the advantages of the flexible fiberoptic gastroscope with the uncomfortable rigid metal sigmoidoscope, he injects silicone latex into the rectum of human volunteers and creates molds of the human distal colon. He uses these molds to design a steerable fiberoptic instrument that can navigate the folds and bends of the rectosigmoid area. A prototype is clinically tested in 1963.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/90/Flexibles_Endoskop.jpg?20060718031845https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Flexibles_Endoskop.jpgA flexible endoscope
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1964No-Touch ThermometerThe first non-contact radiometer designed to measure body temperature in the inner ear canal is invented in 1964 by Theodor Benzinger. In the early 1990s, the first systems are produced in the US, Europe, and Japan and are now the routine instrument for measuring patient temperature.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7d/SOPFEU_Covid-19.jpg/1600px-SOPFEU_Covid-19.jpg?20201022204837https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SOPFEU_Covid-19.jpgA firefighter getting a temperature check as part of COVID protocol
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1965Dental ImplantThe earliest evidence of dental implants are discovered in the Mayan civilization around 600 AD, where they implanted pieces of shells as a replacement for mandibular teeth. In 1965, Dr. Per-Ingvar Branemark tries a titanium dental implant on his patients, the first well-documented and well-maintained dental implants at that point in history.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1d/Dental-implant-illustration.jpg?20210210173610https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dental-implant-illustration.jpgDental implant illustration
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1967Pregnancy TestIn 1967, Margaret Crane, a graphic designer at a pharmaceutical company in West Orange, New Jersey, invents the first home pregnancy test with a plastic paper-clip holder, a mirror, a test tube, and a dropper.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bd/Pregnancy_test_36068237046.jpg/1599px-Pregnancy_test_36068237046.jpg?20170820125041https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pregnancy_test_36068237046.jpgPositive pregnancy test
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1971Reusable Gel Ice PackIn 1971, Jacob Spencer, a pharmacist and sales representative for Pfizer New York, invents the first reusable gel-based compress that can be heated or cooled as needed. Unlike previous ice packs, it's designed to fit comfortably to the human body to reduce aching.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/29/Icing_the_neck.svg/1024px-Icing_the_neck.svg.png?20230227154558https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Icing_the_neck.svgIllustration of a reusable ice pack being applied to one's neck
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1971Blood Glucose MeterAnton H. Clemens invents the Ames Reflectance Meter (ARM), which allows patients to rapidly and easily self-monitor their blood glucose for the first time.https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/26/Blood_Glucose_Testing.JPG/1390px-Blood_Glucose_Testing.JPG?20180821103710https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Blood_Glucose_Testing.JPGModern-day blood glucose meter
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1972Electronic Health RecordHandwritten documents are subject to misspellings, illegible handwriting, and different terminology.
In the late 1960s, Larry Weed presents the Electronic Medical Record (EMR) concept to allow for third-party diagnosis verification. In 1972, the Regenstreif Institute in the United States develops the first EMR. Case Western, Mayo Clinic, Mass General Hospital, and other clinics are early pioneers. The development of accessible, provider and patient-centered electronic health records continues today.		https://dd17w042cevyt.cloudfront.net/images/case-studies/mitre/fluxnotes/fluxnotes-timeline.jpg?w=2000https://www.goinvo.com/work/mitre-flux-notes/Flux Notes displays the health record as a narrative, reducing information overload and mimicking how a provider might recall patient history