Introduction to Epidemiology (BHS 210 Case)

Epidemiology
Name:
Institution:
Medical science is one of the many branches of science in the world that we live in. Over the years, the human population and that of the animals has battled diseases with a great deal of success. Some of the diseases have however been quite complicated and research is still underway to determine ways of protecting the populations (Nidcd.nih.gov, 2014).
Epidemiology is one of the branches of medical science and it involves the investigation of all the factors that can help establish if there are any forms of disease or the absence of the same alongside disorders related to disease (Healthline.com, 2014). Using the epidemiology research efforts and innovations, it is possible to establish if there are any persons that have been affected by the diseases or the related disorders. It also helps to establish if the disorders have been changing, the effects of the disorders on the populations as well as the economy at large. In most of the cases, the research involves persons that volunteer the data, regarding their condition. Where persons report that they have been affected in a certain way by the diseases or the disorders associated, their progress can then be monitored overtime.
Like majority of the sciences, the branch of epidemiology has developed throughout the ages, with some of the key players that sort to establish the cause and development of disease. Most of the individuals that were involved in the development and evolutions of epidemiology wanted to understand that aspects of injury and death as well from the scientific point of view. In their quest, they wanted to also provide information on how best the population could be protected from the diseases. At the time, most of the diseases were thought to have been caused by supernatural elements. Overtime, scientific development led to the discovery of the causal agents of the diseases (Nidcd.nih.gov, 2014).
Historically, the first person to ever try to determine the element of the diseases and the disorders in the human population was Hippocrates in the year 400BC. Hippocrates, a physician became known as the father of medicine and was among the first epidemiologists. Using his scientific knowledge and background, Hippocrates wrote three books trying to establish the element of disease and separating the causes from supernatural beliefs (Healthline.com, 2014). The three books included the Epidemic I, Epidemic III as well as On Airs, Water and Places. According to his hypothesis, there was an element of the environment that leads to the development of some of the diseases. He also noted that certain diseases were associated with certain locations. In particular, he made a revelation that most of the people that were getting sick from malaria as well as the yellow fever lived around swampy areas. At the time, however, no one knew that mosquitoes were responsible for malaria until 1900, when a US army physician called Walter Reeds made the connection. According to Hippocrates, it was possible for the physicians to establish the pattern of the diseases, whether they were to take place in the hot seasons or in the cold seasons. He also noted that physicians should be observant of the populace behavior, as it was also a key to development some of the diseases and disorders (Nidcd.nih.gov, 2014). With reference to his Atomic Theory, Hippocrates believed that the body and most of the matter in the world is made of small particles.
In the 1600s, there were m...