Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
FIGURE 1.2
A portrait of Florence Nightingale.
Courtesy of http://ginnger.topcities.com/cards/computer/nurses/
765x525nightengale.gif.
American hospitals a century ago were rather simple in that their organization required
no special provisions for research or technology and demanded only cooking and washing
facilities. In addition, since the attending and consulting physicians were normally unsala-
ried, and the nursing costs were quite modest, the great bulk of the hospital's normal
operating expenses were for food, drugs, and utilities. Not until the twentieth century did
“modern medicine” come of age in the United States. As we shall see, technology played
a significant role in its evolution.
1.2 THE MODERN HEALTH CARE SYSTEM
Modern medical practice actually began at the turn of the twentieth century. Before 1900,
medicine had little to offer the average citizen, since its resources were mainly physicians,
their education, and their little black bags. At this time physicians were in short supply, but
for different reasons than exist today. Costs were minimal, demand was small, and many of
the services provided by the physician could also be obtained from experienced amateurs
residing in the community. The individual's dwelling was the major site for treatment
and recuperation, and relatives and neighbors constituted an able and willing nursing staff.
