1840-75 Progress in Surgery

Question 1

Biggest problems in Surgery

Answer 1

Pain, Infection, Blood Loss

Question 2

Carbolic acid
discovery
use
complications

Answer 2

Joseph Lister 1867. Reads Pasteur’s Germ theory and realises Carbolic acid kills microbes. uses it to sterilise equipment.

slows down operation time which leads to more blood loss. Harsh on doctor’s hands/skin

Question 3

Louis Pasteur

Answer 3

French research Chemist famous for his work on Germ Theory 1861 which replaced the old theory of spontaneous generation and miasma theory. Microorganisms cause decay and not the other way around. Finds out that microbes can be killed with heat while working with beverages such as milk and wine.

Question 4

Reducing pain in surgery

Answer 4

opium(1840s)>laughing gas>ether(1846)>chloroform>anaesthetics

Question 5

Robert Liston

Answer 5

1846 Hears about ether from a dentist in the USA. Uses ether during an amputation of a leg and the patient did not feel pain.
problems with ether include irritation of the lungs and vomiting

Question 6

James Simpson

Answer 6

1847 Not satisfied with the dangerous side effects that come with ether. Tries inhaling various gases. discovers chloroform which does not have the same side effects as ether. Helps Queen Victoria in childbirth without pain.

Question 7

What was a tourniquet?

Answer 7

tourniquet, a device that restricts blood flow to an area, but die after due to infections. gangrene formed at wounds and develops to sepsis. was a way that people tried to stop blood loss and infection

Question 8

Steam Steriliser

Answer 8

1878 Koch uses Pasteur’s Germ theory to make apparatus to sterilise medical equipment using heat

Question 9

aseptic surgery

Answer 9

1890s operations carried out in clean operating theatres without spectators. all surgeons had to wear clean clothes masks rubber gloves to mitigate infection

Question 10

blood loss mitigation

Answer 10

pressure placed on artery to reduce blood loss. blood vessels sealed using cauterisation hot iron against blood vessels sealing with heat.
ligatures using catgut to tie up ends of blood vessels

Question 11

blood transfusion

Answer 11

1901-02 Karl Landsteiner discovers 4 blood types. understood that mixing blood types can be fatal. blood transfusions are now possible. At this time blood transfusions had to have the donor and patient in the same room as no way to preserve blood and also it clots so makes it difficult
helps with anaemia, leukaemia, and jaundice

Question 12

X-rays

Answer 12

1895 Wilhelm Röntgen studying cathode rays and discovers X-rays which he tests on his wife’s hand to show bones. broken bones and TB
some problems with X-ray technology was that it often overheated so X-ray machines were needed to cool down for a long time before could be used again
people didn’t yet understand the ionising properties of X-rays and that it could lead to cancer

Question 13

Marie Curie

Answer 13

starts working on radioactivity with her husband in 1896. discovers Polonium and Radium. 1910 radium institute created for her. research how radium can shrink and kill tumours. equipped ambulances with X-rays and drove an ambulance in WW1