My Speech
Intro:
There have been many changes in Medicine since the 1950’s that have benefitted people beyond belief. Since the establishment of the NHS (National Health Service), which provided free health service to those who were unable to afford it, there have been many milestones in the medical field of study. This great success would have not been possible, and still would not be possible, if it wasn’t for funding from the government, non-profit organizations, companies, charities, and individuals. Medicine is detriment to any human being because every single person in the United States has to, at some point in their lives, get some form of medical treatment. Through some of these medical advances I will share with you, you will begin to get an idea of just how important the advance in the medical field of study has been.
1950’s:
According to ktbotanicals.com there were many important advances in medicine during the 1950’s including the first human aorta transplant, the discovery of Hepatitis A, as well as the synthesis of the world’s first wonder drug, Penicillin. The synthesis of the Penicillin sparked the golden era of antibiotics. In fact, most of the antibiotics that we have available today were discovered in the 1950s and use the same method of action against infections. However, researchers quickly discovered that penicillin and other early antibiotics weren’t able to defeat all infections; therefore the word “superbug” was adopted. A superbug, is an organism which readily adapts to the treatment of antibiotics and passes down its resistant traits to its offspring. In other news in 1951, a report was underway which ultimately proved that some cancers are caused by viruses, a vaccine for yellow fever was discovered, and neurologists were the highest paid physicians in the country with an average income of over $28,000.[5] The average American income at that time was only $3,400. Also in 1955, A birth control pill called Enovid, is tested on more than 15,000 Puerto-Rican and Haitian women under the supervision of Harvard University physician Gregory Pincus. Smoking was also becoming a known health risk in 1956. It took them a while, but finally in 1956, the American Cancer Society links the smoking of cigarettes to lung cancer.[15] Despite this warning, it was estimated that 48% of Americans above the age of 14, smoked cigarettes in 1958.
1960’s:
New methods of Treatment
Medical scientists introduced equipment during the 1960s that greatly enhanced the effectiveness and efficiency of medical care. Cryosurgical probes, used to remove or deaden diseased tissue by freezing, allowed for attractive alternatives to standard surgery, especially in removal of cancerous tumors. The home-dialysis machine, used to treat patients with kidney failure, allowed patients to undergo the lengthy and awk-ward process of dialysis without disrupting their lives with frequent hospitalizations. The portable electrocardiograph (EKG), which monitors electrical impulses in the heart, allowed doctors to perform a fundamental diagnostic test in their offices instead of in hospitals.
Cancer research
The success of medical scientists in understanding and combating viruses stimulated research into cancer causes and armed physicians with a better understanding of cancerous diseases. Physicians and the general public became more concerned with discovering and attempting to prevent the causes of cancer. In 1964 the surgeon general warned the public of the dangers of smoking, linking it with deadly illnesses such as lung cancer, heart disease, and emphysema.
Reproduction and sex
Numerous advances were made in the fields of gynecology and obstetrics during the 1960s. Following approval of a highly effective birth-control pill and other contraceptives, such as the intrauterine device (IUD), women were afforded a measure of sexual freedom not previously available to them. The implications were unsettling to many people and led to a
