Our Health

Many diseases have been brought under control by new methods of treatment. New instruments and machines have been invented by man to combat diseases. Let us learn more about the important developments in the field of medicine.

SOME IMPORTANT INSTRUMENTS

Clinical Thermometer

The clinical thermometer is also known as a doctor's thermometer. It is used to measure the temperature of the body. It measures the temperature in degrees Fahrenheit (°F) and in degrees Celsius (°C). A normal human body has a temperature of 98.4° F or 36.8° C. Sometimes we get a fever, and the body temperature increases due to infection. In the old days, when the thermometer was not invented, people knew about the fever by touching the body and feeling the pulse. Nowadays the thermometer is an instrument seen in every home. German physician Gabriel Daniel Fahrenheit invented the thermometer in 1714. It is a simple and safe device that can be used by anyone. There is a scale marked on it to show the intensity of fever. The degrees in Fahrenheit are generally marked from 96°F to 110°F.

The thermometer is put into the mouth of the patient or kept in the armpit. Soon the mercury rises up and shows the temperature.

Stethoscope

A patient's heart and lungs are examined by a stethoscope. It was invented by Dr. René Laennec. One day, the doctor observed two children playing in the street. They were talking to each other through a long, hollow log of wood in a whispering tone. When questioned by the doctor, they explained to him that they were able to hear even the faintest sound from one end to the other end of the log.

After that, on the chest of a patient, linden newspaper into a tube. He placed one end of the paper on its heartbeat. He was also able to place his car on the other end and was thrilled to hear the patient experiment by the dealer, able to hear sound produced while the hugsa thrilled to haled. This experiment, the one the doctor paved the way for, led to the development of the stethoscope. Today, doctors use more sensitive and powerful stethoscopes.

Microscope

It is very interesting to know how the microscope was invented. Nearly 400 years ago, a father and his son had a spectacle shop in Holland. The owner of the shop had accidentally placed two lenses one behind the other. He saw a fly through them and was surprised to see the fly as big as a lamb. He then prepared a toy called 'flea glass.'. The toy was liked by children all over Europe and became popular among them.

Soon, Galileo, a famous Italian scientist, was very much impressed by this invention. He too made a flea glass and called it a 'microscope.'.

Microscopes were made and used for various purposes. One day a scientist saw a drop of water through the microscope and found hundreds of germs in it. The scientists then found that the germs, which they could not see with the naked eye, could be seen using the microscope. These germs are carried through water and cause dreadful diseases like cholera and jaundice. They can be identified, and the patients treated correctly and promptly:

New Methods of Treatment

In ancient times, people believed that evil spirits were the cause of diseases. They were superstitious and approached doctors for treatment. Gradually, people realized their folly and turned to modern doctors for new methods of treatment. Almost every day scientists discover new medicines after doing a lot of research. Many diseases, such as malaria and influenza, were either brought under control or eradicated. For example, quinine was used to eradicate malaria from most of the countries.

In the year 1928, a great scientist, Alexander Fleming, discovered a wonder drug named penicillin. The discovery of penicillin has put a check upon the dreadful diseases caused by bacterial infections like pneumonia and meningitis. The discovery of antibiotics has brought quick relief to patients suffering from many kinds of infections. Streptomycin is a medicine that cures a disease called tuberculosis. This disease has caused the death of many patients. Today, we have a variety of medicines in the form of tablets, capsules, and injections. Patients suffering from asthma take an oral form of medicine. In this method, medicine in the form of gas is pushed through the mouth by a special device called a pump. By doing so, the asthma patient gets relief.

The research on dreadful diseases is in progress. Fatal diseases like cancer, too, may soon be brought under control by the tireless efforts of the researchers. 

New Development in Surgery

Surgery is an operation performed to remove the damaged parts of the body. In ancient times also, doctors carried out surgery. The instruments used by them were crude and were not properly sterilized, which resulted in the death of some patients. But today. We see a lot of difference in the world of surgery: Major and difficult operations are undertaken with the help of delicate instruments and new machines. Heart and brain operations are also done quite successfully.

Today vital organs such as the kidney or the heart can be transplanted into a patient's body through surgery. Transplants are operations in which a damaged kidney or heart is replaced by a healthy one.

Prevention of Diseases

We all know the saying, Prevention is better than cure!. Diseases can be prevented by taking preventive steps, vaccines, and medicines. Smallpox, cholera, tuberculosis, plague, yellow fever, whooping cough, typhoid, and polio are some diseases that can be prevented through vaccination and other methods.

About 200 years ago, smallpox was a deadly disease. People who got it never survived.

Dr. Edward Jenner, doctor of England, observed that milkmaids seldom got this disease. He discovered that milkmaids often got a mild disease called cowpox, which lasted only a few days. So Jenner came to the conclusion that Cowpox protected them from smallpox.

He found that this protection can be transferred from one person to Mother. He wanted to check his idea. But nobody came forward to try his experiment. While treating a patient suffering from cowpox, Dr. Jenner noticed a few sores on her body. He removed the pus from the sores and injected it into a small boy. The boy then caught cowpox. Dr. Jenner waited for seven weeks and inoculated the boy with germs that cause smallpox. The boy did not show any sign of smallpox, and Dr. Jenner was delighted to know that he had found a method of protecting people against smallpox. This was the first vaccination ever given. Dr. Jenner became famous for developing the smallpox vaccine.

Pasteurization

Louis Pasteur, a French scientist, carried out the work on vaccines further. He found out that germs are killed at higher temperatures. By boiling milk or water at a high temperature, many harmful germs get killed. This process is called pasteurization. It is always safe to use boiled milk. Patients and small children should generally drink boiled water. We can prevent diseases if we do not allow germs to enter our bodies. The milk we get in poly packs and bottles is pasteurized milk, which is free from germs.

Basic Health Care

The government is taking steps to control the spread of diseases. We can follow simple and cheap ways for preventing diseases by keeping our surroundings clean. Since we know that health is important, each one of us must do some physical exercises. Food also plays a vital role in maintaining good health. A nutritious and balanced diet keeps us healthy.

Primary health centers, dispensaries, and hospitals are set up to serve the people. We should make good use of these facilities. There are a number of medical colleges, which train a large number of doctors every year. We must spread awareness towards health and hygiene in the villages.

Population Explosion

The advanced methods adopted in the field of medical science have increased the life span of people. Now people live longer and healthier. As a result, the population has increased manyfold. One more reason for the population explosion is the increase in birth rate. At the time of independence, our country's population was about 40 crores.

Now it is about 120 crores! The increase in population has led to problems like unemployment, lack of food, clothing, transport, education, etc. To avoid all these problems, the growth of population must be controlled. This can be done by adopting birth control.