Final answer:
During the Industrial Revolution, the development of modern sewer systems significantly improved public health, which was a major breakthrough. The invention of anesthesia also transformed medical practice by enabling pain-free surgery. Vaccines and other medical technologies further advanced health outcomes. The correct option is D.
Step-by-step explanation:
The major breakthrough made during the Industrial Revolution that led to major advances in medicine was the development of modern sewer systems. Rapid urbanization in the nineteenth century made the link between filth and disease more evident, leading to urgent action to combat health issues, particularly after cholera epidemics.
Modern sewer systems, like the one built in London in 1848, significantly improved public health before the full understanding of disease contagion mechanisms. Additionally, the first practical applications of chemistry to medicine occurred with the invention of anesthesia in the 1840s, permitting surgery without severe pain for the first time.
These advances, along with the discoveries by Robert Koch and Louis Pasteur that led to new vaccines, fundamentally transformed medicine. The progress during the Industrial Revolution was not limited to medicine but included various technological and industrial advancements that reshaped society and propelled the field of engineering forward.