A BRIEF IDSTORY OFTim PROFESSION

Vivim Herrick strongly believes that medical technology may be traced back in 1550 B.C. when
intestinal parasites such as Taenia and Ascaris were mentioned in writings. She also noted that
the Ebers Papyrus (m early writmg) have desaiplion of the three- stages of hookworm infection.

To support the opinion of Herrick, that the profession may have been practiced in the e,11ly
days before it had been noticed, Professor M. Ruth Williams have stated in her book, "An
Introduction to the Profession of Medical Technology'', that Urinalysis was a fad during the
Medieval Period (1096-1438). So that Quacks calling themselves doctors reaped fortunes from
diagnosing diseases by the appearance of urine. Yet earlier than the Quacks, Hindu doctors have
made the scientific observation that the urine of certain individuals attracted ants, and that such
urine had a sweetish taste.

Nevertheless, Anna Falgelson prefers to date medical technology from the 14th century when a
prominent Italian physician at the University of Bologna employed one Alexandra Giliani to
perform certain tasks which would now be considered those of the medical technologist. It is of
interest that Giliani died from a laboratory acquired infection.

The profession has progressed rapidly in the 17th century when Anton van Leeuwenhoek (16.32-
1723) had invented the first functional microscope. He was the first to describe the red blood cells,
to see protozoa, and to classify bacteria according to shape.

With the production of Aniline dyes about the middle of the 19th century, it became possible to
stain bacteria and to !!btdy them better under the microscope.

Some.whett. in the year 1m Dr. William o«tm SW'(he.d 'iUld. fO\Uld the a Q ~ to the
diagnosis of his patients by several means and part of this process of collecting evidence was
investigt1tion in the ltlboRtory, md a large part of the complete picture consisted of laboratory
findings.

These disL-overies lead to the idea to change some of the systems. in the science of medicine.
This idea was interfered partially by the government with the requirement for qualification of a
doctor by the Apothecasies Act of 1S15. However, through the leadership of Baron Karl von
Humbeld~ medicine brought in itself a complete revolution by the development of the physical
findings before and after death in establishing an anatomical pathology and later in adding
b.lcteriology to the elucidation of the causes of diseilSe and the laboratory examinations.

Throngh the influelK'f of Gennmy this new tcielK'e was lMn known to Greece, Japan, Tarkey,
England and the United State of America.

It was in the United States of A.meric;i that this science was highly developed ;i very great extent
due to its fuwldal capabilities, manpower ;ind interest more emphasbed to cope up with the
modern world.

The first laboratory (which happens to be a chemical laboratory related to medicine) was
opened ln the United States at the University of Michigan. Dr. Douglas (whose first name was
unfortunately not known) started the first l.aboratory instruction in 1884. This laboratory wu said
to be well-equipped during those times and grew year by year until it became the largest and the
best equipped chemical laboratory open to students in the United States.

Similar laboratories were established in 1854. One of the first was the Medical College of St.
Bartholomtw. Four yean later in 1858, all part-time practidng clinicians wm Ninfotted as

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 teach~rs by wh~le time professional units applying the new laboratory methods to medical
practice and medical teaching at the University College at Cambridge.

In 1878, Dr. Willi"m H. Wokh (a gniduato of tha Collogo of Pbyskiam & 5m8oom in New
York) who had studied pathology and bacteriology in Germany returned to the Umted States and
was connected with his Alma Mater. But diuppointed with his ambition to get place to establish
a laboratory, he went to Bellevue Hospital Medical College. Here he finally obtained a laboratory
which he used in teaching and giving microscopical courses. The laboratory consisted of three
rooms furnished with kitchen tables and six mfique microscopes which cost him twenty-five
dollars. Dr. Simon Fle~er (the first pithologist of the John Hopkins H09pitaJ Dep,utment of
Pathology) said, this was the first laboratory course in pathology ever given ht an American
Medkal School.

In. 1885, Welch became the first professor of pathology at John Hopkms University. In this
hospital he estal>lished i I.-l>oritory for lnc:terlologic:al studies ~d for iutQpsies.

It was .in 1885 when a man of a very lugh caliber by the name of Burdon Sundenon obtamed
sigD.ificant results in his works in medici...ne by applying labo:ra.tory methods to his practice of
medicine. He also initiated the. use. of laboratory animals for experlmentation. as pilrt of bis
lal>oratory examination to help him in his diagnosis. Later in 1887, he had conduded that the use
of laboratory methods in Clinic.al Medicine elucidates pathological problems..

Howeve~ sevetal references in the litera.tuie indicate that the first Clinical Labora.toty wu
ope.Bed .in 18.%~ One of these w.as .at John Hopkins. Hospital,. whim oo:npied .a. .12xl.2. size mom
and was equipped at a cost of fifty dollars..

Neve.rtM.las, Comae', articl~ whidt is probably the SQU1U all tthn.ncti indka.ted tha.t a
clinical laboratory had been opened at the University of Pennsylvania in 1896 (Wll1iam Pepper
Laboratory) and that others were to be found in Bos.~ Baltimore,. New Yorl4 and in many other
cities.
One of the veiy clear evidences. that clinical laboratories. had been es.tablished in 1896 was the
1900 census of the United States which listed 100 techni~ all of them males employed in the
different laboratories throughout the country.
Another was. the publication of ii lilbQratory guide by Dr. James. C Todd in 1908 entitle<l
"Manual of Oinical Diagnosis" which was later published by Dr. Todd and Dr. Arthur Stanford
as a book entitled "Clinical Diagnosis by Laboratory Methods" and presently published under the
editorship of Davidson and Hemy when the authors died. This showed that the authors have
proven and improved laboratory techniques and procedures. as a result of an actual laboratory
experimentation and exposures.

Yet ft was DOt until 1911 when m Insurance Act was. approved and a complete revallltlan in the
development of laboratory science as the basis of diagnosh. of disease was formally accepted.

It was in 1915 that the State legislature of Pennsylvania enacted a haw requiring all h~pitals
and institutions to have an adequate laboratory and to employ a full-time laboratory technioan.

In 1~ the United States required a two-year collegiate education and a twelve-month actual
training in the laboratory for the preparation of its practice. A standard currlculum was
fomylized in 1950.in piep.lAlicm for~ Badle1or of Sdnlce Degree.

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 In the Philippines, the science was introduced by the 26th Medical Laboratory of the &h United
States Army at the end of World War II. The laboratory was established at Quirlcada St., Sta. Cruz,
Manila where the Public Health Laboratory (a division of the Manila Health Depart:tnent) is
presently located.

The training of high school graduates to work as laboratory technicians was started in February
1944 by the 26th Medical Laboratory. However, in June 1945, the 26'h Medical Laboratory of the 6tft
United States Army left the laboratory. Although the said Medical Laboratory was endorsed by
the United Stiltes Army to the Niltional Department of Health before they left. But the Natiorutl
Department of Health did not take interest on it, maybe because the science was not very well
known and popular during those days.

One of the Filipino doctors, Dr. Alfredo Pio de Roda, a well known Bacteriologist who was
among the dislocated staff of the 26th Medical Laboratory took the pain to preserve and save the
remnants of the laboratory. This was because of a very noble idea that came into his mind for the
good of the residents of Manna. He thought that the residents of Manila can be better served by
the laboratory methods to solve their problems in relation to their health. Hence, Dr. Pio de
went to see Dr. Mariano C. Icasiano, the first city health officer of Manila and presented bis ideas
and good intentions in the preservation of the remnants of the 26th Medical Laboratory and
organizing a new medical laboratory in order to give better health services to the M;1Dilans by
laboratory methods. Dr. Icasiano, seeing the noble ideas, sincerity, purity of intention and
concern about the health of the Manilans, was touched and convinced. He accepted the proposal of
Dr. Pio de Roda to establish a medical laboratory under the city health department.

It was on October 1,. 1945 when the medical laboratory now known as the Public Health
labo:ra.tory was fo:rmally cuganized under the le.a.de.rship of Dt. Pio de Roda..
The training -of medical technkians. started in 1947 under Dr. Pio de R-Oda and Dr. PntdeDCH C
Sta.. Ana.. The traine.e s we.re mostly high school and paramedical graduates.. The. course was ftte
to all interested people,. but the colll'S.e has. no apeclfk or definite period of training or a certificate
of completion issued for such training. Some of the trainees we.re trained only for a week,. some
for two weeks. and others for several weeks..
It was in 1954 when Dr. Pio Roda instructed Dr. Sta. Ana to prepare a syllabus of tmining for
the medical ttthnicians that the formal six'-month training period was .ttquittd and a certific-ate af
complfflOD was given to successful trainees. Later- Dr. Tirso Briones joined the two doctors in the
training program at the Public Health Laboratory.

The training program however did not last long when the Philippine Union College of BHY,
Caloocan, Rizal (now located at Silang, Carite), through its affiliated and sister establishmmt, the
Manila Sanitarium and Hospital under the Filipino-Americ-clli teachers started to offer a four year
coarse in medical ttthnolt>gy leading to a degree of Bachelor af Science in Medical Technology in
1954. The Bureau of Ednc-•tion (now the Department of Eduation) approved their .tpplication and
in 1956 the Philippine Union College graduated its first graduate in the penon of Mr. Jesse Umali,
who later took up his medical course at the Far Eastern Uninrsity, Institute of Medicine. Dr.
Umali is now a very successful OB-Gynea,logist in the United S141tes of America md wn the
owner of the Omega Laboratory at Vito Cruz, Manila before he left for the US. ·

In 195'7, Dr. .Antonio Gabriel and Dr.·Gustavo U ReyH of the University of Sto. Tomas, Faculty
of Pharmacy offered an elective to pharmacy graduates leading to the medical technology course.
But ft was not until June 30, 1960 when their first third year medical technology course was
officially approved by the Bureau of Education under the Faculty of Pharmacy, and the fourth year
(internship) program was approved on June 12, 1961,
 This was followed by the Centro Escolar University in 1960 through the pioneering efforts of
Mrs. Purificacion Sunico-Suaco, who was granted by the Univemty President Carmen de Luna, to
work on the feasibility of offering the medical technology course in the unlvenity. Upon the
approval of their application by the Bureau of Education, Mrs. Suaco automatically became the
dean of the newly formed school from 1960 to 1963. Their first graduates were in 1962.

The Far Eastern University started its School of Medical Technology in 1961 through the
combined ideils and efforts of Dr. Hondo A. YlilgiD a11d Dr. Senfin J. Julbno tbroagb the
~uthority g.t"~nted to them by the late Dr. Li\ll'o H. Pang~ib~ ~d Dr. Jesus B. Nolaco, Dean and
Secretary of the Institute of Medicine respectively. The school was fonmlly opened when its
application was approved by the Bureau of Education on July 5, 1962. Dr. Ylagan automatically
l:>e(ame the T~hnic\ll Diret:tor of the School. Their first gr~d'1ites were in 1963.

This was followed by sever~ college6 ~d universities throughout the CQunt.Ty. T ~ , there
are a.bout tb.irty-tbxee colleges a..nd utlivetSitl~ throughout tb.e. Pb.illppine:& offetillg the c.OUIK,