Final answer:
Medicine gained power and authority due to technological and scientific advances, the discovery of germs and vaccines, the formation of professional organizations like the AMA, the shift to a mass production healthcare model, the diversity in medical practices across the Ottoman Empire.
Step-by-step explanation:
The transformation of medicine from a weak profession to one with significant power and authority is attributed to several pivotal factors. First, advances in science and technology allowed for improved diagnosis and treatments, including the development of medical instruments like the ophthalmoscope and x-ray, and the introduction of pharmaceuticals and anesthetics such as aspirin and quinine. Second, groundbreaking work by scientists such as Robert Koch and Louis Pasteur led to the discovery of disease-causing pathogens and the subsequent creation of vaccines against deadly diseases, enhancing public trust in medical science.
The establishment and strengthening of professional organizations, like the American Medical Association, helped standardize practices and reduce the prevalence of unqualified practitioners. This formalization of the medical profession lent greater credibility to physicians. Additionally, the healthcare system’s adaptation to a mass production and efficiency model, characterized by consolidation and the use of technologies like telemedicine, has significantly improved the reach and quality of care.
Moreover, the geographic diversity of the Ottoman Empire contributed to the development of medical science by allowing cross-regional comparisons of medical treatments. Finally, improved public health measures, behavioral changes, and medical education in prestigious universities furthered medicine’s development into a respected field possessing considerable authority over health and wellness.