Surgery from the Middle Ages to the 18th century Flashcards
Q: Why were surgeons looked down on by other doctors in the Middle Ages?
A: Surgery was not considered a proper part of medicine, and most surgeons were barber-surgeons who learned through apprenticeships, not university training.
Q: What types of procedures did barber-surgeons typically perform in the Middle Ages?
A: Small surface operations, such as tumour removal, blood-letting, and sometimes amputations for infected wounds
Q: Why were amputations so dangerous in the Middle Ages?
A: There was no anaesthetic, the risk of infection was high, patients could die of shock, blood loss was significant, and cauterisation was used to stop bleeding.
Q: What was cauterisation?
A: A method of stopping bleeding by burning the wound with a piece of red-hot iron.
Q: Why did surgeons have to work quickly during amputations in the Middle Ages?
A: To reduce blood loss and because struggling patients made the procedure difficult.
Q: What mild anaesthetics were used by medieval surgeons?
A: Hemlock and opium.
Q: How did wars in the Middle Ages contribute to surgical improvements?
A: They provided surgeons with many opportunities to practice and develop their skills.
Q: Who was John of Ardern, and what was his contribution to medieval surgery?
A: He was a famous English surgeon who developed new methods based on observation and practice, including anal operations.
Q: What was the traditional treatment for gunshot wounds during the Renaissance?
A: Pouring boiling oil into the wound to cauterise it.
Q: How did Ambroise Paré revolutionize the treatment of gunshot wounds?
A: He used an ointment made with turpentine instead of boiling oil, based on a Roman surgery text
Q: What surgical innovation did Ambroise Paré introduce for amputations?
A: He used silk ligatures to tie off arteries instead of cauterising stumps with a hot iron.
Q: What was a drawback of Paré’s ligatures?
A: He did not sterilize them, leading to frequent infections.
Q: What remained unchanged in surgery between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance?
A: Most surgeries were still limited to blood-letting, amputations, and tumour removals.
Q: Who was John Hunter, and what was his approach to surgery in the 18th century?
A: A scientific surgeon who advanced surgery through dissection, experimentation, and new surgical techniques.
Q: How did John Hunter save a patient with an aneurysm?
A: He tied off the artery above the aneurysm, allowing blood vessels to regrow and bypass it.
