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Timeline of Medical Excellence
Scotland’s Timeline of Medical Excellence (1495-2013)
Scotland’s long and illustrious history of medical excellence stretches back to 1495, foundation of the world’s first medical school, and continues into the present day with ground-breaking innovations such as the creation of the world’s first cloned animal, Dolly the sheep, and the world’s first commercially available prosthetic bionic hand. Search our timeline of Scotland’s medical excellence spanning over 500 years
2013
- Stroke stem cell therapy
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ReNeuron/Professor Keith Muir of the Southern General in Glasgow readhed a successful conclusion of the stage 1 PISCES clinical trial of stem cell therapy for stroke
For more information visit the ReNeuron site
2005
- Touch Bionics
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The worlds first fully articulating and commercially available prosthetic bionic hand
1996
- Dolly
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Sir Ian Wilmut and the Roslin Institute team responsible for the creation of the first cloned animal in Dolly the sheep
For more information visit the Roslin Institute site about Dolly
1988
- Beta Blockers
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Sir James Black, Nobel Prize winner for the discovery of β blockers, for control of hypertension
For more information: visit the Nobel Prize website
1980
- MRI
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Sir John Mallard and his team created the first MRI scanner
1979
- p53 tumour suppressor gene
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Sir David Lane and his team discovered the p53 tumour suppression gene, which has a key role in the prevention of cancer
1966
- Ventolin
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Sir David Jack was the leader of the team which created salbutamol, or Ventolin, Becotide, the default treatment for ashtma, and Zantac for stomach disorders
1960
- Kidney Transplant
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Sir Michael Wooduff and his team performed the first successful kidney transplant in the UK
1957
- Interferon
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Alick Isaacs was th leader of the team which created 'interferon', still the key successful drug treatment for viral infections
1949
- Nutrition and poverty
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Lord John Boyd Orr, Nobel Peace Prize winner for nutrition and establishing link between poverty, poor nutrition and health, UN campaigner for nutrition across the world
1928
- Penicillin
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Sir Alexander Fleming, Scottish scientist who discovered a mould which he named 'penicillin' - the first anti-biotic, which revolutionised the treatment of infection
For more information: visit the Nobel Prize website and the Fleming Museum
1923
- Insulin
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Along with Frederick Banting and Charles Best, Dr John JR Macleod was a Nobel Prize winner for the discovery and purification of insulin, which contributed to the successful treatment of diabetes for the first time
For more information: visit the Nobel Prize website
1877
- Bone graft surgery
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Sir William Macewen, pioneer in surgery, performing the first bone graft, developing the technique of lung removal and the first successful intracranial surgery using the focal epileptic signs to remove a tumour. Sir William was a student of Lister, and introduced the practice of wearing white coats during surgery
1853
- The hypodermic needle
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Dr Alexander Wood independently invented a version of the hypodermic syringe needle, used across the world. Sadly his wife became the first person in the world to die as an injecting opium addict.
For more information: visit the Science Museum website
1812 - 14
- Chain of Evacuation in war
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Sir James McGrigor, Army Surgeon, instituted the 'chain of evacuation' still used in combat situations today. This involves the establishment of aid stations through which all injured personnel are channeled with clear routes back behind the lines to a military or field hospital.
For more information: visit the University of Aberdeen page
1505
- First Medical Royal College
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In the late 1400s the roles of surgeons and barbers, both requiring sharp instruments to practise their trade, were indistinctly defined as regards such tasks as bloodletting, lancing, shaving, bandaging and treating wounds in battle. In 1505 the Incorporation of Surgeons and Barbers was founded, later the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, the first medical Royal College in the world
for more information: Visit the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh Museums website
1495
- First formal Medical School in UK
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Although medical teaching had taken place in St Bartholomews and in Oxford, the first formal medical school was founded in Kings College Aberdeen at the same time as the University
This page was last updated on: 12.07.2023 at 16.48.