Many people in developed countries tend to take technological advancements for granted. They do not realize how fortunate we are to have access to lifesaving medicine as easy as walking to the pharmacy. Without the discovery of penicillin, insulin and the first respirator, also known as the “Iron lung” many more people would have perished as a result due to bacterial infections, diabetes and polio. These technological advancements in medicine have allowed doctors to save many lives and discover newer methods of treating patients.
Before the introduction of penicillin there was no effective treatment for infections such as pneumonia, gonorrhea or rheumatic fever. Hospitals were full of people with blood poisoning contracted from a cut or a scratch, and doctors could do little for them but wait and hope. It was not until September 3, 1928 that penicillin the first antibiotic was discovered by Alexander Fleming. (Medical Discoveries) The discovery of penicillin was by complete accident. (Newman, Tim.) Alexander Fleming after coming home from a holiday was sorting through petri dishes containing bacteria and noticed something odd with one of the dishes, a mold had grown stopping the bacterial colonies from growing past it. (Newman, Tim.) …show more content…
("Iron Lung.") In 1930, Canada’s first “iron lung” was brought to The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto from Boston. This allowed Canadian patients suffering from polio to have higher survivability rates. ("The Story of Polio.") Polio vaccination programs have virtually stopped new cases of polio in the Modern world. As a result of this and the development of modern ventilators, the iron lung has mostly disappeared from modern medicine. ("Iron Lung.”) Although it is not widely used today the “Iron lung” saved many lives during its time. Also paving a path for newer inventors to follow and advance upon saving many lives in the future. Without this amazing invention many more people today would still be
Before the introduction of penicillin there was no effective treatment for infections such as pneumonia, gonorrhea or rheumatic fever. Hospitals were full of people with blood poisoning contracted from a cut or a scratch, and doctors could do little for them but wait and hope. It was not until September 3, 1928 that penicillin the first antibiotic was discovered by Alexander Fleming. (Medical Discoveries) The discovery of penicillin was by complete accident. (Newman, Tim.) Alexander Fleming after coming home from a holiday was sorting through petri dishes containing bacteria and noticed something odd with one of the dishes, a mold had grown stopping the bacterial colonies from growing past it. (Newman, Tim.) …show more content…
("Iron Lung.") In 1930, Canada’s first “iron lung” was brought to The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto from Boston. This allowed Canadian patients suffering from polio to have higher survivability rates. ("The Story of Polio.") Polio vaccination programs have virtually stopped new cases of polio in the Modern world. As a result of this and the development of modern ventilators, the iron lung has mostly disappeared from modern medicine. ("Iron Lung.”) Although it is not widely used today the “Iron lung” saved many lives during its time. Also paving a path for newer inventors to follow and advance upon saving many lives in the future. Without this amazing invention many more people today would still be