A Revolution in Medicine

Question 1

What were the things revolved around Pain?

Answer 1

• some experiments with anaesthetics
• ether and laughing gas

Question 2

Who was James Simpson? - P

Answer 2

• discovered chloroform in 1847

Question 3

What were the things revolved around Infection?

Answer 3

• greatest danger was sepsis infection after surgery

Question 4

Who was Joseph Lister? - I

Answer 4

• antiseptic surgery (killed germs on wound)

Question 5

Who was Joseph Lister? - L

Answer 5

• improved on ligatures (used sterilised catgut)

Question 6

What were the things revolved around Loss of blood?

Answer 6

• blood transfusions failed
• blood types weren’t discovered yet

Question 7

What were the things revolved around Environment?

Answer 7

• aseptic surgery
• based on Lister and Koch which aimed to remove all germs

Question 8

Who was James Simpson? (1847)

Answer 8

• obstetrician

Question 9

What did James Simpson do?

Answer 9

• discovered chloroform as an effective anaesthetic after trialing and used during childbirth

Question 10

What were the reasons people were opposed to using chloroform?

Answer 10

• caused dizziness. sleepiness, unconsciousness
• deeper infection
• long-term side effects
• difficult to find right dosage (overdose)
• people in the Crimean War opposed as it seemed weak to be using it

Question 11

What was the reason people overcame the fear of using chloroform?

Answer 11

• Queen Victoria using it during childbirth

Question 12

Who was Joseph Lister? (1864)

Answer 12

• surgeon

Question 13

What did Joseph Lister do?

Answer 13

• made a link with Pasteur’s Germ theory that bacteria caused infection
• reduced morality rate from 46% to 15% in 3 years
• invented a machine which sprayed carbolic acid over entire room
• made all assistants wash hands in weak carbolic acid
• soaked wounds in carbolic acid (did the same with sterilised)

Question 14

Why was there opposition to Joseph Lister?

Answer 14

• he criticised other surgeons
• wasn’t a showman

Question 15

What things were done to clean the environment before a surgery?

Answer 15

• medical equipment steam sterilised
• operating theatres rigorously scrubbed
• protective clothing had been adopted (surgical gowns and rubber gloves)
• staff scrubbed thoroughly before entering operating theatre

Question 16

What were the impacts of development?

Answer 16

• surgery became safer (surgeons could be more careful without need for speed)
• more ambitious surgery (appendix operation in 1880s and heart operation in 1896)
• chances of patient’s survival drastically increased