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Historical Speed-Dating: Medicine and Health through Time

Introduction

Looking for a new way to revise for Medicine through Time? This activity might well

win a place in your affections. It was devised by Geoff Lyon who teaches in

Ormskirk. It’s fast-paced, fun and designed to get students thinking as well as

reinforcing their recall and understanding. Here’s Geoff’s description.

Objectives

Conventional ‘speed-dating’ is (so I am told!) where say 30 individuals (usually each

with a ‘GSOH’) go round say 15 desks chatting to/up other participants with a view to

finding out who would be a promising ‘match’ (an issue to be investigated further by

mutual consent on a ‘date’). The speed in ‘speed-dating’ comes from the strict, short

time-limit each combination of two participants is allowed with each other in the

initial exercise. The dates in our case come from the subject-matter of our Study in

Development on Medicine through Time. The objectives of the activity are to revise

and reinforce key facts and concepts from the MHT Study in Development by means

of a fast-paced (but with time for reflection), fun activity involving discussion.

Setting Up

You need a one-hour lesson, but debriefing can run and run if you let it.

This description assumes a class of 30 pupils, so scale down by judicious withdrawal

of the sheets below if appropriate. (Be sure to take out ones that match!)

The ‘Date’ sheets [below] give a date in History and include information about the

MHT Factors at that time. (For the Factors I use the mnemonic ‘STIR WG and CCC’

- Science, Technology, Individuals, Religion, War, Government, Conservatism,

Communications, Chance – but tweak to your own liking.)

The ‘Treatment’ sheets give information about a particular treatment at an

unidentified point in the past.

© Ian Dawson 2023 of 65


Each sheet has a scoring record for pupils to keep and make brief notes as they go

along – useful for the debriefing.

A classroom MHT timeline (preferably scaled) can be useful for the debriefing.

We are concerned with match-making, but provision of chocolates and romantic

mood-music is entirely optional!

You will find the instructions set out on the attached PowerPoint

The Activity

Half the class have the ‘Date’ sheets and remain seated at the 15 (for a class of 30)

desks. A card with a number on each desk helps. The other half of the class have the

‘Treatment’ sheets and go round each of the seated ‘Dates’ in turn.

Each pair of pupils has one minute to share information orally (they are not allowed to

swap or show sheets) and decide how well Date and Treatment match. They have to

agree on and write down a score out of ten, where 10/10 is a perfect match, 5/10 is

possible match with some things to link them, 0/10 is nothing in common at all, and

so on – with brief reasons. (Not all the matches are ‘obvious’ – we want to make the

pupils think. As in life (?!) there are puzzles and sometimes more than one possible

‘correct’ match!)

Debriefing

The starting point for the Debriefing is asking the ‘Treatments’ in turn who their best

Match is and why. They can go and sit with their Match once it is agreed they are the

best match.

The teacher’s role is to find out and develop the knowledge and reasoning of the

students, bringing out the main issues involved in the Study in Development:

What happened when, and why?

Why was there change or continuity at a particular time?

What factors were important in promoting or delaying change?



Best Matches

The suggested best matches (with alternatives) are:

[the symbols indicate there’s more than one Date sheet with the same date]

1 3000 BC O= Spiritual Cure (Medicine Man)

2@ 1900 AD M Aspirin Tablets

3+ 1600 AD A War Wound Foot (Pare)

4@ 1900 AD J War Wound Hand

5* c.200 AD H Excellent Public Health System

6 c.400 BC G ‘Miraculous’ cure (Asclepion)

7* c 200 AD K Humours & Opposites (Galen

Rome)

8 1347 AD D Plague – Whipping etc (Medieval)

9 c.2000 BC C Chanting Herbs(Priest Physician)

10 1400 AD N Humours/Planets (Galen Medieval

11 1950 AD F Penicillin

12 c.500 AD B Epilepsy Cure (Dark Ages)

13+ 1600 AD E Bezoar Stone

14 1665 AD I Plague – chicken cure

15@ 1900 AD L= Spiritual Cure (1900 Aborigine!)

Possible Debriefing Points

The PowerPoint takes the Treatments first in the debriefing, finding Dates to match.

With comments, these are:

A War Wound Foot (Pare) 3+ or 13+ 1600 AD

Cf. Pare. Patient still dies – why?

B Epilepsy Cure (Dark Ages) 12 c.500 AD

Actually from Dark Ages, but why is it difficult to date? Why did supernatural last so

long?



C Chanting & herbs 9 c.2000 BC

‘Channels’ the clue. Cf Egyptian priest-physicians. Name an Egyptian god or doctor

D Plague & whipping 8 1347 AD

Cf. I. Whipping is clue to date. Proper term? Why did healer ask patient to go away at

once?

E Bezoar stone 13+ or 3+ 1600 AD

Cf. Pare (died 1590) but proved stone no cure-all for poisons. Use of Bezoar lasted

(cf. Charles II). Why? Note rich person going to doctor.

F Penicillin 11 1950 AD

What sort of drug is it? Why 1950?

G Miraculous cure 6 c.400 BC

Who was the god? Where the temple? Why did such treatments work? How do we

know? What would his friends think when they heard his story?

H Excellent Pub.H. system 5* or 7* c.200 AD

Why is this ‘treatment’ the odd one out? What is the importance of prevention rather

than cure in MHT? Why were the Romans and Victorians so bothered about Pub.H?

I Plague – chicken cure 14 1665 AD

Was this equally plausible for Middle Ages? Why no progress despite Renaissance?

J War wound to hand 4@ or 2@ or 15@ 1900 AD

When did they have machine-guns? Cf5. Why did the patient survive? Why surgical

development then?

K Humours & Opposites 7* or 5* c 200 AD

Cf.Galen & use of opposites. Why the difficulty of dating this one? Bleeding

practised until when? Why 4 humours last so long?

L Spiritual cure 15@ or 4@ or 2@ 1900 AD



A real conundrum! 1900 AD aboriginal society still prehistoric. The value of such

evidence? Not every thing develops at same time, cf. invention of writing at different

places at different times.

M Aspirin tablets 2@ or 4@ or 15@ 1900 AD

When did we have aspirins...Boots...women doctors? Why then?

N Humours, planets, opposites 10 1400 AD

Cf. K. Planets the difference. When were they important?

O Spiritual cure 1 3000 BC

An easy one to finish with – or to use as an example in introducing the task, if you

have fewer than 30 pupils.

Reflections

1. Did students enjoy the nature of the activity and what impact did this have on

their learning?

2. What was the impact of this activity on understanding of changes and

continuities within the period and students’ abilities to make comparisons?

3. Could you use this technique at the end of KS3 to provide an overview of

people and events?

Notes

The Date Sheets are shown overleaf.



DATE SHEET 1 - circa 3000 BC

S/T - Very primitive. Stone tools.

I - None we know of by name.

R - Very religious. Strong belief in the supernatural.

W - No specific information available.

G - No specific information available.

Cons - It seems that any change was very slow indeed.

Comm - By word of mouth – ‘oral tradition’.

Cha - Chance discoveries of simple remedies that worked.

MATCH RATINGS & NOTES REGARDING REASONS:

TREATMENT A: /10 Reasons:

TREATMENT B: /10 Reasons:

TREATMENT C: /10 Reasons:

TREATMENT D: /10 Reasons:

TREATMENT E: /10 Reasons:

TREATMENT F: /10 Reasons:



TREATMENT G: /10 Reasons:

TREATMENT H: /10 Reasons:

TREATMENT I: /10 Reasons:

TREATMENT J: /10 Reasons:

TREATMENT K: /10 Reasons:

TREATMENT L: /10 Reasons:

TREATMENT M: /10 Reasons:

TREATMENT N: /10 Reasons:

TREATMENT O: /10 Reasons:



DATE SHEET 2 - 1900 AD

S/T - Advanced machinery and technology.

I - [Many, but information withheld].

R - Religion survives, but science is dominant.

W - Significant war between major powers.

G - Strong governments more prepared to intervene.

Cons - Some slow to accept the many changes at this time.

Comm - High speed, advanced communications.

Cha - Chance discoveries help bring major changes.











S/T - Metals tools. Printing press. Pumps. Valves.

I - [Information withheld].

R - Religion important but scientific approach too.

W - Quite a lot of war.

G - Some strong and efficient governments.

Cons - Several important new ideas, but slow to catch on.

Comm - Printing press and ships spread ideas.











DATE SHEET 5 – circa 200 AD

S/T - Metal tools. Excellent construction technology.



W - Much war.

G - Strong government with great military power.

Cons - Any change was slow. The old ways seemed best.

Comm - Extensive trade links, mainly by water. Writing.












S/T - Metal tools.




G - Strong government.

Cons - Some were slow to accept radical new ideas.

Comm - Much oral tradition but some writing too.











DATE SHEET 7 - circa 200 AD

S/T - Metal tools. Excellent construction technology.



W - Much war.

G - Strong government with great military power.

Cons - Any change was slow. The old ways seemed best.

Comm - Extensive trade links, mainly by water. Writing.












S/T - Metal tools.




G - Government variable in strength.


Comm - By word of mouth or writing by hand.












S/T - Bronze tools.


R - Very religious. Belief in supernatural. Charms.

W - [Information withheld].

G - Strong ruler.

Cons - It seems that any change was slow.

Comm - Wide trade links, mainly by water transport.












S/T - Metal tools.




G - Government variable in strength.


Comm - By word of mouth or writing by hand.












S/T - Metal tools.



W - Much war.

G - No strong government. Chaos & war between groups.

Cons - Other groups & different ways seen as threats.

Comm - Oral tradition but little or no writing.












S/T - Very primitive. Stone tools.

I - None we know of by name.


W - No specific information available.

G - No specific information available.


Comm - By word of mouth – ‘oral tradition’.











TREATMENT SHEET O - Spiritual Cure

An ill person comes to a healer in pain. The person lies down and the healer begins to

chant. The person falls into a trance and the healer bends over the sick person,

massages the sore part of the body and successfully brings the evil spirit out of the

body. The patient wakes from the trance, is told the spirit has gone, and soon feels

better and recovers completely.


DATE 1: /10 Reasons:











TREATMENT SHEET N - Humours, Planets and Opposites

An ill person goes to the healer, who examines him, asks him about his symptoms,

examines his urine, checks the position of the planets, then tells him that his humours

are out of balance. The healer says that the problem can be solved by the patient being

bled and by taking a herbal remedy including peppers. This ‘use of opposites’ will be

effective in countering the sickness.

MATCH RATINGS & NOTES REGARDING REASONS:DATE 1: /10 Reasons:











TREATMENT SHEET M - Aspirin Tablets

An ill person comes to a woman doctor in pain. The person has been suffering a

headache for a day. The woman doctor advises the person to purchase some Aspirin

tablets from Boots the Chemist. The person does so, takes two tablets as directed and

soon begins to feel better. In an hour or two the headache has gone completely.













TREATMENT SHEET L - Spiritual Cure

An ill person comes to a healer in pain. The person lies down and the healer begins to

chant. The person falls into a trance and the healer bends over the sick person,

massages the sore part of the body and successfully brings the evil spirit out of the

body. The patient wakes from the trance, is told the spirit has gone, and soon feels

better and recovers completely.












TREATMENT SHEET K - Humours and Opposites

An ill person goes to the healer, who examines him, asks him about his symptoms,

examines his urine, and tells him that his humours are out of balance and he has a

fever. The healer says that the problem can be solved by the patient being bled and by

taking a herbal remedy including cucumbers. This ‘use of opposites’ will be effective

in countering the fever.












TREATMENT SHEET J - Treating a war wound to hand

A soldier has his hand smashed up by machine-gun bullets in battle. The qualified

surgeon gives the soldier an anaesthetic and cuts off the hand at the wrist, using

sterilised instruments. The blood vessels are sewn up using sterilised catgut. The

wound develops no infection round the ligatures and the patient recovers.













TREATMENT SHEET I - Plague – Chicken Cure

An ill person is brought in pain to a healer. The person felt suddenly cold and tired the

previous day, so went to bed, but woke in the night feeling very sick and feverish. He

now has a severe headache and says he can feel swellings in his groin. The healer

recommends the person to ‘take the feathers from the tail of a chicken and apply him

[the chicken] to the sore’.












TREATMENT SHEET H - Excellent Public Health System

A person gets up in the morning and goes to the local public toilets which are near to

his block of flats. There he enjoys a short sit down and has a chat with his neighbours.

They talk admiringly about the new aqueduct bringing the water for the fountains in

town. He wipes his bottom with a sponge on a stick, washes his hands in the water-

trough and returns home.












TREATMENT SHEET G - Apparently Miraculous Cure

An ill person travels far to stay with a healer. The person lies down goes to sleep. The

person is visited by a god, who heals him while he sleeps. The patient wakes from his

sleep and feels much better. He makes a thanksgiving offering to the god before

journeying back to his home town, where he tells his family and friends his good

news.












TREATMENT SHEET F - Penicillin

A child becomes very ill very quickly. His doctor realises that he is suffering from

meningitis – a very dangerous disease involving swelling round the brain. It can result

in brain damage or even death. The doctor treats the patient with a course of the drug

penicillin. The child recovers completely and is quite well.













TREATMENT SHEET E - Bezoar Stone

A rich, ill person comes to a doctor in increasing pain. The doctor’s first remedies do

not work and the patient’s condition becomes very bad. The doctor decides to

administer a treatment of two grammes of Bezoar stone (a green stone found in the

stomachs of Persian goats) every two hours. The patient dies the next day.













TREATMENT SHEET D - Plague – whipping etc.

An ill person is brought in pain to a healer. The person felt suddenly cold and tired the

previous day, so went to bed, but woke in the night feeling very sick and feverish. He

now has a severe headache and says he can feel swellings in his groin. The healer

recommends the person to go and whip himself to show how sorry he is for his sins,

and asks him to go away at once.












TREATMENT SHEET C - Chanting and Herbal Remedy

A person ill with stomach pains comes to a healer. The person lies down and the

healer gives the patient a herbal remedy to drink, while he (the healer) chants a spell,

‘Come, you who drive out evil things from the stomach and limbs. He who drinks this

shall be cured.’ Soon the patient’s channels are unblocked and he is well again.













TREATMENT SHEET B - Epilepsy Cure

An ill person comes to a healer. The person has fits as he suffers from epilepsy. The

healer recommends this remedy: ‘Take a nail from a wrecked ship, make it into a

bracelet and set in it a bone from a stag’s heart, taken from the stag while it is still

alive. Put the bracelet on your left arm. You will be astonished at the result.’ The

patient continues to have fits.












TREATMENT SHEET A - Treating a war wound to foot

A soldier has his foot crushed by a cannon-ball in a battle. The surgeon cuts off the

remains of the foot. Instead of sealing the wound with a cautery iron, he stops the

bleeding by tying the blood-vessels with ligatures and treats the wound with a lotion

made of egg-yolk, turpentine and oil of roses. The wound develops infection round

the ligatures and the patient dies.















DATE 13: /10 Reasons:DATE 14: /10 Reasons:



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