Edexcel History - 1st June 2015 - Medicine Through Time - History B

Original post by noseofapig

How did everyone find the exam?

What did you put for all the questions?

I thought it went pretty well up until the last question (I did Q] 6); I made an Intro, and two evaluative points as to why using the scientific method of finding the cause of the disease was the foundations of preventing the illness. My points were on Scientific Method which lead to subsequent discoveries, and the government acting on Public Health.

I then made another paragraph which argued why War might be seen as a the more important factor for preventing illness, but I slipped up by saying that discoveries such as "magic bullets" was sped up with war as a catalyst, but in truth War actually slowed down these developments, so I'm not sure If I'll lose credit for that.

And then I kinda run out of time and didn't finish my conclusion, which sucks :/

I'm probably routing for an A in that exam :smile:

which is okay...you?

Reply 2

student5072005

OP

3

Sounds like you did well :smile:

I did Q7 so I can't really compare with you.

I was really annoyed about question 2 as my teacher never taught us about the romans as he said we wouldn't need to know them, as well as I had never even heard of the anglo-saxons! So missed out on 6 marks, so upset :frown:

Hoping for at least a B, relying on the other exams to boost my grade to an A.

Reply 3

Original post by noseofapig

Sounds like you did well :smile:

I did Q7 so I can't really compare with you.

I was really annoyed about question 2 as my teacher never taught us about the romans as he said we wouldn't need to know them, as well as I had never even heard of the anglo-saxons! So missed out on 6 marks, so upset :frown:

Hoping for at least a B, relying on the other exams to boost my grade to an A.

Yeah, I hate it when that happens :/ After every exam I think I do well, but on leaving the exam hall I immediately start feeling I did awful xD do you get the same?

6 marks won't drag you down that much dw :wink:

How many A*'s you hoping for?

Reply 4

rosietaylor16

Hey guys, I only did 2 paragraphs for the 12 mark and 3 paragraphs for the 16 mark in the main body, do you think I will lose marks?? :s-smilie:

Reply 5

LordStark

9

I didn't mind the paper, actually. I thought the sources questions were a bit tricky, but I can usually fudge a decent response. The question on the Romans was an absolute dream.

I picked the question on the causes of widespread illness between 1350 and 1850. I focussed on both cholera and the Plague, but I fleshed out historical context, etc, etc. I blamed it on bad public health due to government inaction and also scientific ignorance as to the causes of disease.

For the last question, I argued that scientific advances were the most important factor, as they spurred the government into enacting the 1875 Public Health Act, as well as endorsing further vaccination efforts. I said that the NHS and National Insurance wouldn't have been as effective without understanding of germ theory and magic bullets, and that the Liberal reforms alone wouldn't have been enough to make a significant difference without the Public Health Act cleaning up towns. I didn't really talk about anything after the NHS being founded though, which in reflection, I probably should have done. I don't think it should affect my final mark too badly, though?

Reply 6

Original post by noseofapig

How did everyone find the exam?

What did you put for all the questions?

1
- that source a was from a hospital that was probably funded by charity; most care was in monasteries; they wouldn't treat infectious diseases; care not cure; young women weren't allowed on the wards as it would 'distract' the male patients
- that source b was a more modern hospital; followed florence nightingale's layout of wards; lots more staff; some younger women present

2(Romans)
- public baths, aqueducts, sewage systems, public latrines

3(my least favourite)
Not useful
- only one page; focused on physiological knowledge rather than medical; it may not have been widely used/respected
Useful
- shows how doctors related anatomy to medicine and realised it was important to link the two; could be important as it survived this long; Harvey is allowing other scientists to reproduce his experiment suggesting that it works

4(Galen and Hippocrates one)
- was important as no other universal theory for treatment; had support of church; seemed to be based on correct anatomy (as dissection was not allowed); emphasised observation and recording of symptoms, which actually works today

7(NHS + Penicillin)
- explained importance of penicillin; importance of NHS; however prescription costs; magic bullets also major breakthroughs as they showed illnesses could be 'cured'; x-rays led to radiotherapy and chemotherapy as well as DNA structure; DNA structure led to greater research into genetic conditions + possible treatment; electron microscopes; however still advances in treatment to be made; diseases like Huntington's and some forms of cancer have no treatment currently

Reply 7

cherryblossoming

17

I think that the paper was really good. The question on Roman public health was a dream (clean water via aqueducts, link made between hygiene and disease so clean streets and cities built away from swamps, public baths which were believed to have healing qualities and where many people attended daily). I answered everything adequately (or so I hope) and I am optimistic enough to think I got an A* in that easily.

Original post by LordStark

For the last question, I argued that scientific advances were the most important factor, as they spurred the government into enacting the 1875 Public Health Act, as well as endorsing further vaccination efforts. I said that the NHS and National Insurance wouldn't have been as effective without understanding of germ theory and magic bullets, and that the Liberal reforms alone wouldn't have been enough to make a significant difference without the Public Health Act cleaning up towns. I didn't really talk about anything after the NHS being founded though, which in reflection, I probably should have done. I don't think it should affect my final mark too badly, though?

Question 6 or 7? (Sorry, I have terrible memory).

Reply 8

Original post by LordStark

I didn't mind the paper, actually. I thought the sources questions were a bit tricky, but I can usually fudge a decent response. The question on the Romans was an absolute dream.

I picked the question on the causes of widespread illness between 1350 and 1850. I focussed on both cholera and the Plague, but I fleshed out historical context, etc, etc. I blamed it on bad public health due to government inaction and also scientific ignorance as to the causes of disease.

For the last question, I argued that scientific advances were the most important factor, as they spurred the government into enacting the 1875 Public Health Act, as well as endorsing further vaccination efforts. I said that the NHS and National Insurance wouldn't have been as effective without understanding of germ theory and magic bullets, and that the Liberal reforms alone wouldn't have been enough to make a significant difference without the Public Health Act cleaning up towns. I didn't really talk about anything after the NHS being founded though, which in reflection, I probably should have done. I don't think it should affect my final mark too badly, though?

Was this 6 or 7? 'Cause I thought 7 was only 20th century

Reply 9

Original post by noseofapig

Sounds like you did well :smile:

I did Q7 so I can't really compare with you.

I was really annoyed about question 2 as my teacher never taught us about the romans as he said we wouldn't need to know them, as well as I had never even heard of the anglo-saxons! So missed out on 6 marks, so upset :frown:

Hoping for at least a B, relying on the other exams to boost my grade to an A.

That's terrible! The Romans even come up on the sample paper the exam board supplied
The anglo-saxons were just the invaders in England in Medieval times; it was basically asking talk about Roman Public Health or Medieval

Reply 10

0799NCB

1

I thought the paper was good overall. The first question was a little weird. However the 6 maker and the source question were nice. Im unsure about my 16 marker response. I wrote about the one that asked if scientific understanding of disease was the most important factor for the prevention of disease. I argued that it wasn't stating about Jenner in 1796 - small pox experiment which lead to him making the small pox vaccine in 1798 which then ended up with the Gov making the vaccine compulsory in 1852. I said that he didn't have knowledge of the cause of disease yet he still found a method to prevent it and his work resulted in small pox being eradicated in 1976. Then I talked about John Snow and Cholera even though he didn't know the cause of disease and then I spoke about Pasteur and all the vaccines that came after the discovery of the Germ theory. I concluded saying that I think individuals is more important as if Jenner hadn't discovered 'inoculation' perhaps the vaccinations created after the germ theory wouldn't have happened as fast - and the discovery of vaccinations could have taken a long time. Im not too sure on my 16 marker but my teacher said it sounds okay so hopefully :smile:

hope it went well for you

Reply 11

LordStark

9

Original post by cherryblossoming

Question 6 or 7? (Sorry, I have terrible memory).

It was 6, I believe. The question was something along the lines of "Scientific advancements were the most important factor in the prevention of disease after 1850. Agree/disagree."

Reply 12

Original post by 0799NCB

I thought the paper was good overall. The first question was a little weird. However the 6 maker and the source question were nice. Im unsure about my 16 marker response. I wrote about the one that asked if scientific understanding of disease was the most important factor for the prevention of disease. I argued that it wasn't stating about Jenner in 1796 - small pox experiment which lead to him making the small pox vaccine in 1798 which then ended up with the Gov making the vaccine compulsory in 1852. I said that he didn't have knowledge of the cause of disease yet he still found a method to prevent it and his work resulted in small pox being eradicated in 1976. Then I talked about John Snow and Cholera even though he didn't know the cause of disease and then I spoke about Pasteur and all the vaccines that came after the discovery of the Germ theory. I concluded saying that I think individuals is more important as if Jenner hadn't discovered 'inoculation' perhaps the vaccinations created after the germ theory wouldn't have happened as fast - and the discovery of vaccinations could have taken a long time. Im not too sure on my 16 marker but my teacher said it sounds okay so hopefully :smile:

hope it went well for you

Sounds good, except that smallpox was eradicated in 1979...

Reply 13

LordStark

9

Original post by Rainbowhorror01

Sounds good, except that smallpox was eradicated in 1979...

I was taught 1980 :laugh:

Reply 14

0799NCB

1

Original post by Rainbowhorror01

Sounds good, except that smallpox was eradicated in 1979...

Yeah I think I wrote that I wrote one or the other but any how close enough haha

Reply 15

MarthaR

1

I was pretty happy overall, The first question I think I babbled about nurses too much and didn't so much answer the question, but I did link back which was good. Question 2 was super, I did Romans and we've studied them so much so it was really a God-send. Question 3 was pretty nice, although I don't really remember it. Question 4 was Hippocrates and Galen. I did one para on Hippo, one para on Galen and one para on their books. Question 7 was also quite nice. The Fleming para was easy, then I did a para on public health affecting treatment (mainly increasing life-expectancy) then another random para. I only managed a little conclusion because I ran out of time, but I don't expect it will matter.

Reply 16

nomamalik98

Original post by Pilate VII

I thought it went pretty well up until the last question (I did Q] 6); I made an Intro, and two evaluative points as to why using the scientific method of finding the cause of the disease was the foundations of preventing the illness. My points were on Scientific Method which lead to subsequent discoveries, and the government acting on Public Health.

I then made another paragraph which argued why War might be seen as a the more important factor for preventing illness, but I slipped up by saying that discoveries such as "magic bullets" was sped up with war as a catalyst, but in truth War actually slowed down these developments, so I'm not sure If I'll lose credit

for that.

And then I kinda run out of time and didn't finish my conclusion, which sucks :/

I'm probably routing for an A in that exam :smile:

which is okay...you?

SAME! i thought it went really well till the last question, i did 6 as well and completely ran out of time i wrote two points and a short conclusion but i don't think its enough to get good marks on a 16mark question
also i didn't know about the change in the layout and that kinda threw me off at the start of the exam, does anyone know if the other exams will be in the same new layout?

Reply 17

Original post by nomamalik98

SAME! i thought it went really well till the last question, i did 6 as well and completely ran out of time i wrote two points and a short conclusion but i don't think its enough to get good marks on a 16mark question
also i didn't know about the change in the layout and that kinda threw me off at the start of the exam, does anyone know if the other exams will be in the same new layout?

The layout is the same for your other main option, whether that's American West like me or not. It's not of course for the source analysis questions.

Reply 18