Health Matters Trivia Quiz

Answer: Cardiologist

The correct answer is cardiologist, the specialist who deals with the human heart. This specialism took off in the 1950s. The depth of anaesthesia required for a lengthy operation to repair heart defects was one problem. In the 1950s and 1960s 'open heart surgery' meant removing the heart from the body to operate.

By the twenty-first century, with the development of laser and keyhole surgery, such operations became less intrusive.

Answer: Porphyria

Mary Queen of Scots was an ancestor of Anne and George. Porphyria is an inheritable disease which mimics insanity in the sense of irrational behaviours. George III suffered torments such as being strait jacketed by his doctors. This disease is not fully understood.

Answer: Optician/opthalmologist

Milton went blind. He was Secretary to Oliver Cromwell in the Commonwealth period and a famed poet. He had been used to being at his books from early morning until late at night. In the seventeenth century, candlelight was the only available artificial light and this, in itself may have contributed to the deterioration in Milton's sight.

Answer: Epilepsy

All three suffered from epilepsy. Epilepsy can vary from being an inconvenience to being life threatening. In the nineteenth and early part of the twentieth centuries there were no proven reliable drugs for this complaint.

Answer: Throat/Laryngeal Cancer

Frederick was suffering from incurable throat/laryngeal cancer at his accession. He was unable to speak, and was physically unable to fulfil the requirements of his role.

Answer: True

Spanish Flu spread rapidly in the period 1918-1922. It is believed to have killed at least 10 million people. However it never gained the same level of attention as casualties in the War, partly due to the destructiveness of the war, and also because it was in some sense 'hidden'. That is to say it did not principally confine itself to young(ish) men.

Answer: William Harvey

William Harvey is credited with this discovery in mid-seventeenth century England. This was a revolutionary discovery, and, in some sense it can be thought of as the origins of modern medical understanding. Harvey followed the scientific method of observation.

Answer: Joseph Lister

When Lister commenced training in the 1840s surgeons would wear blood spattered coats when operating. There was no anaesthetic and the survival rates were much worse in hospital than at home. Lister's contribution to medicine is immense. He instituted a regime of cleanliness in his hospitals, this led to much improved survival rates for patients.

Answer: Plate

Plates can be added to the human body, often to support a broken bone while it heals. The majority of plates relate to having false teeth. This is part of dentistry and is cosmetic and may give the wearer increased confidence.

Answer: Plastic Surgery

Plastic surgery benefited many servicemen and women in the Second World War and in subsequent conflicts. This discipline has evolved with changing perceptions into a branch of the cosmetic industry at times. Its initial aim was to improve the lives of those who were badly burned or injured.