History of medicine in the twentieth century: an overview

The study of history is part of man's awareness of himself and the nature and place of his society in the world at large. The history of medicine is no exception. The past is always a guide to the present and the present sets the scene for the future. That is where lies the significance of the study of the history of medicine in the twentieth century. The medical achievements of this century ranks as one of the supreme epochs of human enterprise and endeavour. Medicine needed to march a par with the dynamic history of a changing scientific world. In fact, it did so.