Medicine Through Time

These resources are designed to support teachers and learners preparing for the Schools History Project GCSE course 'Medicine Through Time: A Development Study'. The resources are not a course in themselves, but focus on key concepts and understandings required by the course, supplementing more commonly used materials. The collection includes some topics central to the course, items that provide overviews and some topics that extend the normal range of coverage. They can be used online or downloaded for whole classes, groups or individuals as part of a teaching scheme or for self-study. They are appropriate for candidates of any of the GCSE awarding bodies.

How did Asian medicine try to keep people healthy?
Tasks [PDF 445KB]
Teachers' notes [PDF 50KB]

What factors brought improvements in children's heath in the 20th century?
Tasks [PDF 443KB]
Teachers' notes [PDF 52KB]

What was Florence Nightingale really like?
Tasks [PDF 396KB]
Teachers' notes [PDF 53KB]

What can the history of herbal cures tell us about the history of medicine?
Tasks [PDF 377KB]
Teachers' notes [PDF]

How did people explain the plague – and how to avoid it – before they knew the real cause?
Tasks [PDF 1.09MB]
Teachers' notes [PDF 53KB]

Why were quacks successful?
Tasks [PDF 408KB]
Teachers' notes [PDF 51KB]

Why was Simpson experimenting with chemical anaesthetics in 1847?
Tasks [PDF 372KB]
Teachers' notes [PDF 52KB]

We would welcome any feedback you might have about these resources, and suggestions for further topics to explore. Please contact the Library Outreach Officer with your comments and suggestions: library.outreach@wellcome.ac.uk.