Communication (Edexcel GCSE History) : Revision Note

How important was communication to the development of medicine?

• Understanding themes helps explain how and why medicine developed between c1250–present

  • The 12- and 16-mark questions may ask about these themes to test your ability to spot change, continuity, and key turning points over time

• Communication refers to how ideas, discoveries, and knowledge are shared and spread

• Poor communication slowed progress in earlier periods

• Improved communication accelerated change, especially from the Renaissance onwards

• Communication often works with other themes like science, government, and the role of individuals

Communication in Medieval England

Cause of Disease

• Most medical knowledge was passed orally or by handwritten texts by monks

  • This allowed the Church to keep control over medical ideas

  • Galen's ideas remained popular, and the Church re-published them many times

Treatment

• Many people could not read

  • Therefore, Medieval people relied on treatments passed down by wise women or apothecaries

• Physicians and monks were the only people in Medieval England who had access to books

Prevention

• Superstition and tradition dominated because new ideas could not spread easily

• No large-scale communication about how to prevent diseases

Communication in the Renaissance

Cause of Disease

• Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press in c1440

  • This helped publish medical books widely

  • The Church no longer controlled all of the medical ideas that could be published

• The Royal Society was founded in 1660

  • The association promoted scientific experimentation

  • Its journal, Philosophical Transactions, allowed scientists to:

    • Communicate their discoveries

    • Collaborate with other scientists

Treatment

• Books like The Fabric of the Human Body allowed more people to learn accurate anatomy

• New treatments still took time to be accepted

Prevention

• Communication was still limited outside educated circles, so public knowledge on how to prevent diseases remained low

Communication in Industrial Britain

Cause of Disease

• Germ Theory (1861) spread faster because of better printing and education

• Scientific meetings discussed Pasteur and Koch's ideas

  • This caused disagreements among scientists who still believed in miasma and Spontaneous Generation

Treatment

• Simpson’s discovery of chloroform and Lister’s antiseptic methods were published and discussed in medical journals

• Some still resisted new treatments, but publications helped gain support

Prevention

• Jenner’s vaccination was initially met with opposition

  • However, pamphlets and government promotion helped improve public understanding

• Public health campaigns became more widespread due to leaflets and lectures

Communication in Modern Britain

Cause of Disease

• Global collaboration helps share research fast on new discoveries

• The Human Genome Project (2003) involved scientists from multiple countries

Treatment

• Florey and Chain read about Fleming’s 1928 discovery of penicillin in a medical journal

• They shared their early successes in British and American publications, which attracted attention

  • The British and US governments provided funding to scale up the production of penicillin during the Second World War

• Cancer treatments like chemotherapy and radiotherapy are shared through:

  • Global conferences

  • Research papers

  • Online collaboration

Prevention

• Government and public health agencies use TV, radio, and social media for campaigns

  • Examples are:

    • Anti-smoking

    • COVID-19 vaccines

• Misinformation is also a risk in modern communication

  • The internet can spread incorrect ideas about new medical treatments, which can increase public opposition