The article “A Brief History of Medical Diagnosis and the Birth of the Clinical Laboratory”, by Darlene Berger, is an interesting read, which thoroughly explores the subject at hand. This article, which is Part 1 in a series of four articles, discusses medical advances from. “Ancient times through the 19th century.” Berger makes very succinct observations about advances in medicine and the advent of the clinical laboratory. She does an excellent job of objectively discussing many of the important discoveries in medical history, providing stirring examples of success and of failure in the context of medical history, and cites a variety of respectable sources (Berger, 1999).
Just some of the important discoveries that Berger discusses include, “guidelines for the use of urine as a diagnostic aid,” the creation of a vaccine for anthrax, and advances in microscope and x-ray technology. Throughout history, as early as the time of ancient Greeks, urine and urine analysis have been used as means to make diagnoses in patients. Advances in urine analysis would provide additional tools to physicians by the early 1900s. Berger also writes that, “In 1881, Pasteur produced a vaccine against anthrax and lowered the mortality rate to 1% in sheep and to 0.34% in cattle.” This discovery was followed soon after with the creation of the Pasteur Institute, in 1885. Additionally, Berger writes about advances in microscope and x-ray technology, stating that, “In the 19th century, diagnostic tools—including the microscope and X-ray—helped provide hard data independent of subjective judgment and anecdote.” These discoveries helped shape the way modern medicine perceives the world in which it exists (Berger, 1999).
Berger cites several examples of success and a few failures in the history of medical practice and science. Such an example is the aforementioned vaccine for anthrax, which drastically reduced the mortality rate of farm animals. This work marked the beginning of an age where vaccines would become central to protecting humans against dangerous diseases. Another success story that Berger discusses is eventual rejection of Galenic doctrine. On this subject, Berger states that the work of a man (Sir John Floyer (1649-1734)) regarding pulse rates were largely ignored, “because of a healthy skepticism for an old Galenic doctrine of there being a special pulse for each disease.” While it is sad that this important work was largely ignored, the rejection of Galenic doctrine is an important story of success in the furtherance of medical knowledge. One story of failure included the proliferation of that Galenic doctrine, which Berger writes, “essentially brought innovation and discovery in European medicine to a standstill for nearly 14 centuries. Anything relating to Anatomy, physiology and disease was simply referred back to Galen as the final authority from whom there could be no appeal.” This can be viewed as a failure in medical science as Galen’s theory was only largely recognized because his belief in his own doctrine was unwavering. There are important examples that shed light on how medical science evolved over time, from 131 AD onward (Berger, 1999).
Throughout her article, Berger cites a number of respectable, scholarly sources, including “The institutional revolution in German physics” by D. Cahan, “Ensuring universal access to quality laboratory services” published by CLMA (Clinical Laboratory Management Association), and “The Epic of Medicine” by F. Marti- Ibañez. Berger writes about how American physicians would go to Germany to study abroad and come back, generally promoting ideals that they learned from Europe’s medical community. Berger also uses portions of a timeline that are gathered from CLMA’s paper about universal access to laboratory services. Further, “The epic of Medicine” is a history of medicine, which Berger uses as a source in order to discuss the ancient Greek standards of medicine. With sources like these backing up Berger’s words, it is easy to accept this article as an accurate portrayal of the history of medical science from ancient Greece until the early 1900s (Berger, 1999).
In conclusion, it is easy to see that Berger has used excellent sources, cited examples of success and failure, and discussed important and meaningful discoveries in the realm of medical science. Berger uses a number of scholarly sources to back up her description of and inferences she makes from events in the history of medicine. These sources provide Berger with information about the successes and failures that medical science has endured over the years. Several of the success stories that Berger discusses revolutionized the way medical science viewed the world it lives in. The article was well written and thoroughly enjoyable to read.
References
Berger, D. (1999, July). A brief history of medical diagnosis and the birth of the clinical laboratory. Retrieved June 10, 2016, from http://www.academia.dk/Blog/wp-content/uploads/KlinLab-Hist/LabHistory1.pdf
