Change and continuity across time

The history of medicine spans the whole of human history. Health, disease and medicine were formally studied by people in ancient times. Over the past 1,000 years we have become healthier than our ancestors were. We also have more medical understanding than ever before. The past 1,000 years have seen periods of and advances and sometimes lack of progress.

Chronology

When studying the history of medicine, it is important to understand the The sequence of time and key events are important for understanding change and continuity.

Period studies

Time can be divided into historical periods. The ancient world, up to the fall of the Roman Empire, was very important to the study of medicine but it is not part of this thematic study. The four historical periods for this thematic study of the history of medicine are:

Medieval England, c.1250-c.1500 - this period is sometimes referred to as the ‘Middle Ages’.
Renaissance England, c.1500-c.1700 - this period is sometimes referred to as ‘Early Modern’; the - when the monarch took power away from the Church - happened during this period.
The Industrial Revolution, c.1700-c.1900 - the second half of this period is sometimes referred to as the ‘Victorian’ period, after Queen Victoria, who reigned from 1837 to 1901.
Modern Britain, c.1900-present - the very early 1900s are sometimes referred to as the ‘Edwardian’ period.

Centuries

To help make sense of time, time periods are broken down into smaller chunks of time:

century - a period of 100 years
decade - a period of 10 years

Dates in history are ordered into centuries.

Century	Years
13th century	1201 to 1300
14th century	1301 to 1400
15th century	1401 to 1500
16th century	1501 to 1600
17th century	1601 to 1700
18th century	1701 to 1800
19th century	1801 to 1900
20th century	1901 to 2000
21st century	2001 to 2100

Century	13th century
Years	1201 to 1300

Century	14th century
Years	1301 to 1400

Century	15th century
Years	1401 to 1500

Century	16th century
Years	1501 to 1600

Century	17th century
Years	1601 to 1700

Century	18th century
Years	1701 to 1800

Century	19th century
Years	1801 to 1900

Century	20th century
Years	1901 to 2000

Century	21st century
Years	2001 to 2100

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Medicine in Britain overview - EdexcelChange and continuity across time