Lister and Simpson Flashcards
What types of pain relief were there before in the 19th century?
Herbal forms - but dosages were hard to control.
Nitrous Oxide
Ether - caused vomiting and was highly flammable
What did James Simpson demonstrate in 1847
Anaesthetic properties of Chloroform
How did James Simpson discover chloroform?
Knocked over a jar doing an experiment, was found in a deep sleep
How did the Church oppose James Simpson approach to anaesthetics?
They said that the pain in childbirth was a punishment from God for women’s sins.
What were some rational arguments against chloroform?
That it could be dangerous, once killing a 15 year old girl Hanna Greener, who died during a toenail operation.
Who endorsed chloroform and how?
Queen Victoria, normalised its use as an anaesthetic. Also used it to give birth to her youngest son Prince Leopold in 1850
What did Queen Victoria describe chloroform as?
“Soothing, quieting, and delightful beyond measure.”
What did Joseph Lister invent?
Antiseptic surgery
How did Joseph invent antiseptic surgery?
Building on Louis Pasteur’s germ theory which said infection was caused by microbes getting in broken skin. Lister recommended the use of carbolic acid.
Who did Lister experiment on?
An 11 year old boy called Jamie Greenlees who had his leg run over by a cart. The normal treatment would have been amputation but instead Lister wrapped his legs with bandages soaked in carbolic acid. The boys legs did not get infected.
Who critiqued germ theory?
John Bennett - argued infection was caused by cell death.
Charlton Bastion - argued that infection just ‘spontaneously generated’
What did Lister think about Microbes which proved he didn’t understand them much?
He thought there was only one type of microbe.
What was a mistake by Lister?
He wore normal clothes when operating.
How much did infection rates in surgery drop?
50% to 15% in just four years.
