10 Groundbreaking Medical Discoveries Not Believed In Their Time
By Jack Ripley | May 8, 2024
Milkmaid Observation Leads to Smallpox Vaccine Discovery
In the labyrinth of medical science, some discoveries defy belief. Picture skeptics' faces when groundbreaking revelations shatter the boundaries of what was once deemed impossible. From miraculous treatments to baffling phenomena, the journey of medical innovation contains many moments that challenge the very fabric of our understanding. These discoveries, born from the relentless pursuit of knowledge and the courage to question the status quo, unveil realms previously unseen. Join us as we delve into where the unimaginable becomes a reality.
Science History Institute
In 1796, Dr. Edward Jenner observed that milkmaids exposed to the relatively mild cowpox virus did not develop smallpox. Jenner hypothesized that exposure to cowpox protected against smallpox. To test his theory, he inoculated a young boy with material from a cowpox lesion and then exposed him to smallpox, finding that the boy did not develop the disease.
Critics were skeptical that exposure to cowpox could confer immunity to smallpox. They doubted the validity of Jenner's hypothesis and questioned the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine. They were hesitant to embrace Jenner's findings, fearing the risk associated with the vaccination procedure. Jenner's discovery laid the foundation for vaccination to prevent infectious diseases, ultimately leading to the global eradication of smallpox and saving countless lives.
Unsuccessful First Attempts Lead to Life-Saving Anesthetics
Horace Wells, an American dentist, was one of the first to experiment with anesthetics. His experiments were sometimes unsuccessful. He often practiced on himself. The substances he was using resulted in changes in his personality, eventually putting him in prison for throwing acid at people walking past him. Yet, the Paris Medical School named him the discoverer of anesthetic gases.
Ether was the first anesthetic widely used in surgery. Dr. Crawford Long, an American physician, performed the first surgery under ether in 1842. He did not widely publicize the event. The first surgery using ether to be publicly discussed was the ether dome demonstration performed by Dr. William T.G. Morton, who was originally Wells' assistant. Morton performed the surgery to remove a tumor on the neck of the first dean of Harvard Medical School. The "ether controversy" of the 19th century arose when medical professionals doubted ether's safety and questioned its necessity. Chloroform would later replace ether as an anesthetic.
Perfecting Bone Marrow Transplants Saved Lives
In 1956, Dr. E. Donnall Thomas observed that irradiated animals could be rescued from lethal doses of radiation by receiving healthy bone marrow transplants. Inspired by this observation, Dr. Thomas began experimenting with bone marrow transplantation in humans as a potential treatment for leukemia and other blood disorders. He developed protocols for harvesting, preserving, and transplanting bone marrow cells in people with damaged or diseased bone marrow.
The concept of transplanting bone marrow was met with skepticism. Critics raised concerns about the risks of rejection, infection, and the intricate nature of the procedure. Some even questioned whether the benefits outweighed the potential harms. Despite skepticism, Dr. Thomas persisted in his research, refining techniques and demonstrating the success of bone marrow transplants in saving lives.
Modernization of Quinine Helps to Stop Malaria
In the early to mid-17th century, Jesuit missionaries Father Juan de Lugo and Father Antonio de la Calancha encountered the indigenous Quechua people's use of the bark of the cinchona tree to treat fevers in South America. This bark contained quinine, a compound with potent antimalarial properties. Critics questioned the bark's efficacy and safety, attributing any perceived benefits to mere coincidence or a placebo effect.
In the 19th century, quinine's potential as an effective treatment for malaria gained significant attention in Western medicine. Scientists and physicians researched extensively to understand its properties and mode of action. Yet, skeptics remained. Some had continued skepticism about its mechanism of action or raised concerns about its potential side effects. Doubts gradually waned, and quinine became widely accepted as a crucial tool in the fight against malaria.
Antipsychotics Discovered While Looking for Allergy Relief
In 1950, French researchers Jean Delay and Pierre Deniker made a groundbreaking discovery at the Centre Hospitalier Sainte-Anne in Paris when they synthesized chlorpromazine, the first antipsychotic medication. Initially, they investigated potential treatments for allergies and other histamine-related conditions. They observed that the compound chlorpromazine had unexpected calming effects on patients without causing significant drowsiness.
The duo shifted their focus to studying its effects on patients with schizophrenia. Through clinical trials, they found that chlorpromazine effectively alleviated symptoms of psychosis. It targeted the neurotransmitter dopamine, believed to play a critical role in psychosis. However, critics questioned the drug's efficacy, safety, and the ethics of altering brain chemistry to treat mental illness. Some feared the drug would merely sedate patients rather than address the underlying issues. Clinical trials demonstrated the profound impact of antipsychotics in alleviating symptoms and improving patients' quality of life.
Discoveries in Blood Typing and Rhesus Factors Lead to Successful Blood Transfusions
Dr. Karl Landsteiner created the first blood typing system by carefully observing different blood samples in a laboratory. Later, he worked with Alexander S. Wiener to discover the Rhesus factor. Knowing a person's blood type and Rhesus factor allowed doctors to do blood transfusions safely. While doctors had done some blood transfusions earlier, they had mixed results until they could arm themselves with this information.
Yet, there were still skeptics. Some doctors doubted the practicality of blood transfusions, particularly in the early stages of Landsteiner's research. They raised concerns about the potential risks associated with transfusing blood from one individual to another, including the transmission of infectious diseases and the possibility of adverse reactions. Additionally, there were doubts about the feasibility of accurately matching blood donors and recipients, given the variability in blood types among individuals. As blood typing and transfusion methods became more refined, skepticism gradually diminished.
Discovery of Germ Theory Leads to Improved Sanitary Conditions
In 1847, Dr. Ignaz Semmelweis made a startling observation at Vienna General Hospital. He noticed that mothers in the maternity ward attended by doctors were far more likely to succumb to childbed fever than those attended by midwives. Childbed fever was a severe bacterial infection that often led to high fever, abdominal pain, and death. Semmelweis thought the doctors' lack of handwashing might be spreading the deadly disease. He implemented handwashing protocols and saw a drastic reduction in mortality rates.
However, the medical community was skeptical of his findings. Some doctors adamantly opposed Semmelweis' ideas, refusing to accept that their actions could contribute to patient deaths. They dismissed his "germ theory" as outlandish and clung to prevailing beliefs about miasma theory, which attributed disease to foul odors. Despite initial pushback, Semmelweis' groundbreaking work paved the way for modern hygiene practices.
Vacuum-Tube Hearing Aids Help Many to Hear
While there had been earlier attempts to create hearing aids, like the ear trumpet and the Akouphone, Lee De Fores was the first to invent hearing aids that used vacuum tubes. These hearing aids allowed for more robust amplification of sound signals while keeping sounds more natural. Since they were smaller, they were also more comfortable to wear. Yet, they were not without their critics.
One major criticism was the reliability of vacuum tubes, which were prone to malfunction and required frequent maintenance and replacement. Additionally, critics highlighted the limited battery life of vacuum tube hearing aids due to the significant power consumption of the tubes. This required people to replace the batteries often. Some also said hearing aids were still not cheap enough for the masses. While they have primarily been replaced, this advancement allowed many people to hear what they previously missed out on.
