Overview
Much of today’s knowledge and understandings of the constituent foundational concepts of medical science can be attributed to the innovative ideas of scientists of the past, many of which are regarded as scientific “heroes” due to their varied research and discoveries that are seen to have changed the face of medicine. This assignment focuses on the life and medical achievements of ophthalmologist Sir Norman McAlister Gregg, and attempts to demonstrate the significance of his discovery of the connection between rubella during pregnancy and consequential birth defects to medicine and society today. Concluding my assignment will be a personal reflection to demonstrate transformations in my thoughts regarding Gregg during my research process, as well as my thoughts on the assignment and changes I have made throughout the development process.
Life and Work
Sir Norman McAlister Gregg was a Sydney-based ophthalmologist born in 1892, internationally recognised and praised due to his discovery of the connection between the rubella virus in pregnant women and birth defects in the children. Having completed his medical degree at the University of Sydney in 1915, Gregg undertook his training as an ophthalmic surgeon in both Sydney, at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, and in London, at Royal Westminster Ophthalmic Hospital and Moorefields Eye Hospital, returning to Australia in 1923 with a diploma of ophthalmic medicine and surgery. Gregg established a private ophthalmic practice upon his return to Sydney where he worked until 1952, while simultaneously holding surgical positions at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children (Lancaster, 1996).
Gregg’s significant discovery of the link between ...
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...la virus under the National Immunisation Program, at twelve months and again at eighteen months, in order to prevent future cases of congenital rubella syndrome (Australian Government Department of Health, 2013).
Conclusion
Ultimately, although his research lacked the scientific basis that today provides the foundation of medical knowledge and practice, Gregg’s observations and connection between congenital defects and rubella during pregnancy have significantly impacted on medical science. This was achieved by Gregg not only through the establishment of the congenital relationship, but his demonstration of the importance of collaboration with other doctors, history taking in clinical practice, the significance of teratology to medicine, and the consequential development of the rubella vaccine to prevent further cases of congenital rubella syndrome in children.
Modern technology has helped with the growth of many medical discoveries, but the original ideas all had to start from somewhere. One of the most famous surgeons in the medical world, Ambroise Pare is responsible for many of this generation’s practices. Ambroise Pare was born in 1510. He was a French surgeon, and later advanced to do his work as a royal surgeon for kings Henry II, Francis II, Charles IX and Henry III. From there, he went on to become one of the most influential people in medical work this world has seen. Because of him, many are still able to learn and grow from his teachings. Ambroise Pare impacted many people and ideas of medicine because of the innovative ideas he shared, the lives he saved, and the legacy he left behind.
Edward Jenner, “the father of immunology”, was born on May 17, 1749. He was one of nine siblings and he was treated for smallpox for a very long period of his childhood. I predict that his treatment to small pox as an infant encouraged his work into creating the vaccine for smallpox itself. It is said that his work “saved more lives than the work of any other human”. He found the similarities of cowpox and smallpox, and then analyzed his experiments to conclude that previous cowpox patients had immunization to smallpox.
The reason Semmelweis is the unknown founder of the cure for childbed fever is because he never concretely published or shared his findings. Thankfully, Nuland has taken the time to compile all of this information to share Semmelweis’ story.
The death rate from Measles, Chicken Pox and Pertussis was much higher prior to 1930,
When a child is born, the doctors start a regular vaccination schedule to keep them up to date. One thing that parents should be aware of is that before a child is two years old the blood cerebral barrier will still allow foreign proteins to directly enter into the brain where they might cause possible damage (Rau). If a child is sick then it’s best to wait until the child feels better before giving them a vaccine....
People traveling to the tropical region must carry a certificate stating that they have received the vaccination, which is good for 10 years, so that the local government is aware that the person has absolutely no risk of contracting this extremely deadly virus.
For the last 5 years Zimbardo and his colleagues have been studying and exploring the nature as well as the roots of heroism. With this study he defines what heroism is in several parts. “First, it’s performed in service to others in need. Second, it’s engaged in voluntarily, even in military contexts, as heroism remains an act that goes beyond something required by military duty. Third, a heroic act is one performed with recognition of possible risks and costs, be they to one’s physical health or personal reputation, in which the individual is willing to accept anticipated sacrifice. Finally, it is performed without external gain anticipated at the time of the act
Rotavirus is the most common cause of diarrhea in young infants. This virus was discovered in 1973. It is a non enveloped, double stranded RNA virus in Class III of the Baltimore Classification system. It is part of the virus family Reoviridae. There are five different species of this virus known as A, B, C, D, and E. Rotavirus A is the most common species of the virus causing more than 90% of infections in humans. It causes severe gastroenteritis and is a major cause of disease and death in children. Rotavirus attacks enterocytes in the small intestine causing the villous in the small intestine to shorten and fuse. Immunity of the virus develops with each infection. The virus is icosahedral with a triple capsid structure. The virus can be transmitted by the fecal-oral route. It has been identified in the stool of young children. Contact with contaminated hands, surfaces and objects can lead to the transmission of this virus.
...heir time to work beyond the scope of their occupation, in response to a communal need or the need of an individual (Olsson, 2002). In most cases, heroes have a strong impact on the lives of others by helping the less fortunate in their communities. Knowledge and familiarity with their community provides heroes with the proper insight to understand what heroism requires. Strength of character provides the ability to enact heroism. Heroic virtue does not depend on one’s time, place, or condition, but on one’s willingness to rise above circumstances with an ingenuity and determination that can overcome all odds. Anyone that cares for the well-being of others and their community can be a hero. Heroes are all around us; they do what they do without expecting to be recognized for what they do so you may think there are not many heroes today, but they are everywhere.
Have you ever known what being heroic is like? Well if you don't, you’ll want to find out, If you’ve ever watched a movie with a hero in it you should have a good idea of what being heroic should be but there are a lot more characteristics to a hero. Superman flies and saves people with his super strength but his weakness is kryptonite, Superman is kind, brave, and fearless. If you know spiderman he is fearless to so it is a thing that is pretty common with heroes and that's why ordinary people are heroes to it's just that they don't get noticed as they should. Although many acts of heroism don’t always have a happy ending and most heroic deeds go unnoticed, a hero is selfless for the protection of others and doesn’t
Heroism can be found in everyone. In anything. Heroism can be in any form, in any way. Everyone has a hero, and everyone is a hero. A hero has been expounded in different varieties. Many people search for a hero for their entire lives, but a hero can just be right in front of them. Heroism can be seen within an act, a phrase, or a feeling. A hero can force many people to do the better, for them, and everyone surrounding their life. Everyone has different variations of a hero, some people have the same hero. A hero might not be the highest one of all, but they are something that touches your heart. A hero is someone who comes back and comforts you, who fights through every obstacle to achieve their goal and yours, and who faces their own challenges for the better.
Many people say that a hero is a supernatural being with special powers that they use in order to help society and defeat an evil villain; others may say that a hero has to wear a cape and have a cool name. These things can be concluded from various stories, movies, or fairy tales and can be very commonly dispersed among people all over the world. Heroes of today, such as firefighters, policemen, or doctors, don’t have to be these things and might never be. Never less, they are heroes because they all want to help people no matter what the cost, even their lives. This is called being selfless and wanting what’s best for others, not yourself. Anyone can be a hero to someone if they do something to help another person who is unable to do a certain task,but this is not the only quality of a hero. This can include taking the trash out for the elderly. Some, like John Barth, say “Everyone is necessarily the hero of his own life story.” This also means that one does not have to defeat anyone to be a hero because one could be having an internal conflict with oneself. The characteristic being selfless is a prime example of how the heroes of today are and what they do for society through their selfless acts.
is viewed. Many things that a person can do can be constituted as heroic helping someone in
Hippocrates, often called the “father of medicine” was one of the earliest contributors to modern science. He was called the father of medicine because through his medical school, he separated medical knowledge and practice from myth and superstition basing them instead of fact, observation, and clinical ...
An example of heroism in action is when acts of feelings and unreasonability forges a brighter future from the pits of darkness with only the faintest glows of light. An example of heroism could be that in dire situations a hero emerges from an ordinary person when he or she rises up to the occasion and performs the extraordinary. Ana is a victim of the treacherous disease of cancer, and is a wholesome example of heroism, she fought cancer with a smile and went above and beyond to make her family’s lives as normal as possible, as if cancer was a distant memory. Furthermore, heroism could be, when one is made from the pure truthfulness in one’s heart, cherishing every soul without hesitation.