History of medicine: Pioneers and milestones

• Ötzi, the Iceman, a naturally mummified man from around 3300 BCE, offers insights into ancient health conditions and early medicine.
• Imhotep, an ancient Egyptian polymath, is considered the first physician in recorded history.
• Hippocrates, known as the "Father of Medicine," established the Hippocratic Oath and promoted systematic medical practice.
• Galen, a Roman physician, significantly influenced Western medicine with his work on anatomy and physiology.
• Andreas Vesalius, a Renaissance anatomist, revolutionized the understanding of human anatomy with De Humani Corporis Fabrica.
• Robert Liston, a 19th-century surgeon, was known for speed and early adoption of anesthesia.
• Crawford Long was the first to use ether as an anesthetic in surgery.
• William Morton helped introduce ether anesthesia to the medical field.
• Ignaz Semmelweis discovered the importance of handwashing in preventing childbirth-related infections.
• Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, the "Father of Microbiology," discovered microorganisms using early microscopes.
• Lazzaro Spallanzani disproved spontaneous generation, advancing microbiology.
• Louis Pasteur developed germ theory, pasteurization, and vaccines.
• Joseph Lister pioneered antiseptic surgery.
• Robert Koch identified bacteria as disease-causing agents and developed Koch’s postulates.
• M. J. Berkeley studied plant diseases, particularly the cause of the Irish potato famine.
• Heinrich Anton de Bary contributed to understanding fungal diseases in plants.
• Rita Colwell studied cholera and the role of bacteria in waterborne diseases.
• John Snow, the "Father of Epidemiology," identified contaminated water as the source of cholera.
• Asbjørn Følling discovered phenylketonuria (PKU).
• Robert Guthrie developed the PKU test for newborns.
• George Huntington identified Huntington’s disease.
• P. R. Vessie researched Huntington’s disease.
• Alice Wexler worked as an advocate and historian on Huntington’s disease.
• Nancy Wexler led efforts to identify the Huntington’s disease gene.
• Milton Wexler, a psychologist, contributed to Huntington’s disease research.
• Marjorie Guthrie advocated for Huntington’s disease awareness.
• Woody Guthrie, a musician who had Huntington’s disease, raised awareness of the disease.

Explore key figures like Ötzi, Imhotep, and Hippocrates, whose contributions shaped medical practices. From the Hippocratic Oath to the breakthroughs of Vesalius and the adoption of anesthesia, witness the evolution of healthcare.