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Importance of observation
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James Lind, a Scottish Surgeon, played a significant role in the understanding that experimental studies could be used to test theorems of affected mortality. Born in Edinburgh, his previous apprenticeship at the Edinburgh College of Surgeons lead him into his own practice of discovering the remedy for scurvy as it was killing more soldiers of the Royal Navy than enemy action (Milne, 2004). Lind’s epidemiological study presented that the use of citrus fruits had the ability to treat scurvy. Epidemiological studies can be established as either observational or experimental. While observational studies are considered natural experiments, James Lind used an experimental study to consider a true outcome (Htway, 2016). His conducted observation to deal with the treatment of scurvy, a disease cause by deficiency of Vitamin C, proposed him to use subjects who currently had similar cases of scurvy. Symptoms resulting from the deficiency included the swelling of gums and continual damage to open wounds. …show more content…
One of his main focuses was to prove that scurvy was not hereditary or an infectious disease. He believed it was instead due to dietary constraints. On the 20th of May, 1747, Lind took twelve patients on board the Salisbury Sea where all twelve of them had a continued diet of water-gruel sweetened with sugar, mutton-broth, pudding, biscuits with sugar, etc. Each study group was made up of two patients who were given a different addition to their daily diet. These additions included a quart of cyder, spoonfuls of vinegar three times a day, sea water, oranges with lemon, twenty-five guts of elixir vitriol three times a day and nutmeg three times a day. (Aschengrau & Seage,
In the 1993 case of the CDC, they found that the number of cases avoided was estimated at 116 NTD- affected births per year. While the University of California study of 1995 estimated that, the number of cases avoided was estimated at 304 NTD per year. Furthermore, both cases found there to be a substantial economic benefit with the fortification of folic acid. The CDC included a benefit of $5 million per avoided case while the University of California estimated there to be a benefit of $342,500. On of the major differences between the two studies and their values includes the fact the University took into account the loss of productivity. Along with this, I find that the time in which the studies occurred played a role. I noticed that the University estimated there to be substantially more prevented cases than the CDC’s prediction. I find that the difference between the two studies could be due to the fact the University of California’s study come out after the FDA’s decision to mandate the fortification of folic acid in cereal products and that there may have been more accurate research or
Agnes was, “the first to demonstrate that a commonly used food preservative, sulfur dioxide, had a protective effect on vitamin C and a damaging effect on thiamin (King)”. She learned this by studying the vitamin content of many important California-grown foods, wheat, almonds, and walnuts, and the effects of processing them. She also was extremely interested in developing the conclusion of why there were so many low weight (underweight) children, and what the cause was driven from.
Christopher Hamlin, “Edwin Chadwick, ‘Mutton Medicine’, and the Fever Question,” Bulletin of the History of Medicine 70 (1996): 233-265.
The unknown is commonly something that people fear, but what happens when intelligent individuals dare to uncover the facts within it? The answer to this question is that remarkable discoveries are made that change human knowledge, technology, and health forever. Possibly the most beneficial of these discoveries are the ones involving the betterment of human health. Doctors and scientists are often viewed as the most intellectual people in the world’s communities, but they are still human and therefore prone to error. However, Morton A. Meyers’s book Happy Accidents: Serendipity in Modern Medical Breakthroughs explores the various positive outcomes that arose from human error. Specifically, Meyers writes about the diverse serendipitous breakthroughs
Food science has led to find cures for diseases such as scurvy. Scurvy is a disease caused by a deficiency of vitamin C, characterized by swollen bleeding gums and the opening of previously healed wounds, which particularly affected poorly nourished sailors until the end of the 18th century. This disease was very common among sailors because in the 18th century they didn’t have refrigerators, so their diets lacked perishable foods while sailing the sea. Today, if you come across this problem you can just eat a vitamin C tablet. This is just one of the many examples food science has promoted a balanced diet by the study of nutrients in our food.
Point of view: Web. 14 February 2016. The article provides specific examples of illnesses and diseases which have been cured by animal testing that both humans and animals have benefitted from. This supports my topic of animal experiments being used for medical advancements. Pointing out that law often requires that products be tested before being sold to the public, George and Wagner additionally help prove my claim that product testing is a purpose of animal experimentation.
and Europe, which include reduction of animal use, refine animal study techniques, and animal testing replacement. According to Dana ,Bidnall, “Animals are also used, and subsequently killed, every year in many other types of laboratory experiments, from military testing to simulated car crashes to deliberately introduced diseases such as AIDS and Alzheimer 's”(49). Bidnal also states that, “These experiments take place in labs at universities, pharmaceutical companies, and testing agencies, and on farms and military bases around the world”(49). The author suggest,”Researchers who conduct experiments on animals argue that it would be unethical to test substances with potentially adverse side effects on humans; animals are good surrogates because their responses are similar to humans”(49).Bidnal contends with ,”However, some animals are chosen for other reasons”(49). According to Bindal, “Animal testing is not the only option in toxicity testing”(50). Bidnal states, “Alternatives are widely available and include human clinical and epidemiological studies; experiments with cadavers, volunteers,and patients; computer simulation and mathematical models; and in vitro (test tube) tissue culture techniques, to name just a
The improvement of medicine over the course of the human successes gave great convenience to the people of today. Science has cured and prevented many illnesses from occurring and is on its way to cure some of the most dreadful and harmful illnesses. As the world modernizes due to the industrialization, so does the ways of medicine. Some cures are approached by chance, some, through intense, scientific measures.
Animal experiments used in biological research have helped make many advancements in human medicine. Through these experiments when has achieved, a decrease in infant mortality, longer lifespan, and an increase in the quality of life (American Medical Associaton 3). Through indirect of direct experimentation, almost all medical advances can be traced back to research through animals. The control and dismissal of diseases like: small pox, poliomyelitis, and measles has been achieved with animals. Blood transfusions, burn therapy, open brain and hearts surgery where all fulfilled the same way (American Medical Association 54). "Biomedical advances depend on research with animals, and not using them would deprive humans and criminals of the benefits of research" (American Media Association74). Through animal research we could find solutions to AIDS, cancer, heart diseases, aging, and congenital defects. Like Lord Adrian said, “The use of living animals in scientific research can be considered justified if it is likely to produce appreciable benefit to society, if there is no way to conduct the research in quest...
Since ancient times vitamin D has been the predominant cause of bone deficiencies.1 However, it was not in till the seventeenth century when both Dr. Daniel Whistler and Professor Francis Glisson made the first scientific description of a vitamin D deficiency.2 During the mid-seventeenth century there was an increase amount of children that were diagnosed with the bone disease called rickets.2 The cause of the rickets was determined to be associated to the lack of sunlight. A German researcher Kurt Huldschinsky came to the conclusion that when infants were exposed to ultraviolet light rays they became cured of rickets2. He stated that a substance in the skin was the potential source of the cure.2 In 1922, American scientist Elmer McCollum proved that when cod liver oil was heated; the beneficial effects of vitamin A in the oil were reduced.2 However, the oil remained effective in curing rickets leading McCollum to reason that a nutrient different from vitamin A was present in the oil. As a result, he named this nutrient vitamin D, which became the fourth vitamin to be discovered and named.2 Additionally, shortly after 1918, vitamin D was also discovered by an accidental experiment that included a group of scientists curing dogs affected with rickets by feeding cod liver oil to them.1
Everyday, the US citizen utilizes countless aspects of public health. From clean drinking water and sanitation, to adequate housing and a safe work environment, the list of public health services is virtually endless. Since public health is such a major part of everyday life, it is no surprise that the list of careers options in public health is also quite extensive. Infectious disease, maternal health, drug safety, nutrition, education and the military are just a few of the many fields of public health mentioned in Beth Seltzer’s book “101+ Careers in Public Health”. Today’s focus will be on infectious disease, specifically on the work of the epidemiologist.
Distad, Merrill N. “Food and Diet.” Victorian Britain: An Encyclopedia. New York: Garland Publishing, Inc. 1988. 304-307.
Throughout centuries medical research has been conducted on animals. “Animals were used in early studies to discover how blood circulates through the body, the effect of anesthesia, and the relationship between bacteria and disease” (AMA 59). Experiments such as these seem to be outdated and actually are by today’s means, scientists now study commonly for three general purposes: (1) biomedical and behavioral research, (2) education, (3) drug and product testing (AMA 60). These three types of experiments allow scientists to gain vast amounts of knowledge about human b...
Discussions throughout this essay will focus on the relevance of epidemiology to public health; firstly the concepts of epidemiology will be discussed alongside two examples of why epidemiology is relevant in the 21st century.