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Surgery during the 19 century
Surgery during the 19 century
Surgery in the middle ages essay
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Without surgery and advanced medicine in the 21st century, many lives would be lost to preventable medical conditions and infectious disease. If one was to ask every person who walked down a street in an hour time period, most would say they have had some type of surgery in their lifetime. Surgery has evolved since prehistoric medicine. Looking at surgery from before the common era, research has turned to sources such as skeletons, cave painting, or artifacts (Dobanovacki, et al 28). Trephination is the oldest known surgery. It was used to release the spirit within individuals who were suffering from epilepsy, mental disease, and headaches (Dobanovacki, et al 28). Circumcision and the use of ants to suture wounds were also known surgical practices in B.C.E. (Dobanovacki, et al 29). Surgery varied to great degrees from civilization to civilization. Different practices were carried over into the next civilization. In the article “Surgery Before Common Era”, these practices are explained in great detail regarding how they evolved and where the originated from if the place of origin is different than the civilization that is being discussed.
In reading the summary of the article, the authors first go into detail regarding how the study of medicine has occurred, which directly relates to the evolution of surgery.
Based on skeleton examination, cave-paintings and mummies the study of prehistoric medicine tells that the surgical experience dated with skull trepanning, male circumcision, and warfare wound healing. In prehistoric tribes, medicine was a mixture of magic, herbal remedy, and superstitious beliefs practiced by witch doctors. (Dobanovacki, et al 28).
Surgery is dated back to the first recording being on clay tabl...
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... in which the relationship was further investigated. Mesopotamian surgery had correlations to Greek medicine; however, there is no direct link between the two. Greek surgery was mostly influenced by Egyptian surgery. The Greeks made a great array of medical advances. Eventually, the Greeks were overturned by the Romans, who took many of the Greek physicians and scholars and made them their own. The Romans had a very significant impact on surgery in today’s medical world. As an example, some of the scalpels that were used then have similar shape and function as they today. Dobanovacki’s article “Surgery Before Common Era” had an informative basis for the evolution of surgery in B.C.E., which demonstrated the different impacts war and overtaking civilizations had on the continuing development of medical practices, which impacts even today’s surgical procedures.
The Beauty of Bodysnatching written by Burch Druin is a fascinating biography of Astley Cooper, an English Surgeon, and Anatomist, who gained worldwide fame in support of his contribution to Vascular Surgery and a further area of expertise. The extract gives a reflective insight into Cooper’s contribution to study of Anatomy and medicine. Cooper enjoyed the job of body snatching, which helped him to conduct a series of discoveries that were important for the future study and understanding of Physiology. In the Romantic era, when prettiness or horror was a sensitive matter and extensive concern at that time many physicians discouraged surgery, but Cooper passionately practiced it.
By the end of the century, a new type of surgery was being used called
During the era of the Industrial Revolution, surgeries were very risky procedures. Many times the patients would develop infections and die shortly afterwards even if the actual surgery had been successful. It was generally believed that it was exposure to bad air that caused infections in wounds. Imagine going through an unbelievable amount of pain after surgery, and knowing there is nothing you can possibly do to relieve the pain. Joseph Lister is commonly known as The Father of Modern Surgery. Although even when surgery first came about the patients had to withstand all the pain being that there wasn't any anesthesia. Thanks to him and his very commonly used achievement, the medical field has advanced. Not only has just surgery advanced but all the aspects of surgery have advanced like the surgeon's knowledge, the instruments used, the medicine used during the procedures, etc. Looking back to before surgery was even a thought, it was very rare to receive a cure when going to the hospital. Joseph Lister has become one of the most important men during the Industrial Revolution as well as today.
“Surgery.” Brought to Life Exploring the History of Medicine. Science Museum, London, n.d. Web. 23 Jan. 2014.
On October 16th, 1846 the world of surgery changed forever. Taking place in the Ether Dome at Mass General Hospital was the surgical removal of a tumor in a man’s neck. The surgeon was the world renowned Doctor John Warren. Before Doctor Warren could slice into the man’s neck, William TJ Morten, a dentist, ran into the room. He presented a bag filled with a gas called Ether, and swore that he could erase all of the patient’s pain. He had tested this gas on himself, his dog, and his goldfish. Doctor John Warren gave him permission to try out this relatively untested gas on his patient. For the first time in surgical history, the Ether Dome stayed silent throughout the surgery. No screaming, no flailing, and no burly men needed to hold the patient down (Decoding The Void). Soon Doctors all over the world were using general anesthesia, and history was made.
In fact, Native American medicine men belief is firmly grounded in age-old traditions, legends and teachings. Healing and medical powers have existed since the very beginning of time according to Native American stories. Consequently they have handed down the tribe's antediluvian legends, which i...
For example, the Native Americans used a therapy involving maggots. Maggots used today clean wounds of the dead flesh, which prevents tissue infections. The therapy is effortless the doctors simply place the maggots into or around the wound and let the worms to their job. “The maggots are an incredible debriding machine,” says assistant professor Kovach, “and you’ll never see a cleaner wound than one that has maggots in it.” For that reason and being a painless method, we still practice it today. Moreover, a surgery used and possibly practice before maggots by the ancient Egyptians is Transsphenoidal surgery. This surgery entails removing tumors from certain areas of the brain by working through the nose. Raj Sindwani, an otolaryngologist with Cleveland Clinic states, “The ancient Egyptians found that the access point to the brain was the nose, they used to remove the brain through the nose before mummification. We now take advantage of this technique by removing brain tumors in that area.” Obviously, they did not do this surgery for the same reason we do today, perhaps because they would not have been able to sustain a patient’s life while doing so. One more surgery experienced by millions of mothers known as C-sections or Cesarean sections originated in 350 B.C. The origin of "cesarean" is
Pitt, Dennis & Aubin, Jean-Michel, “Joseph Lister: Father of Modern Surgery.” Canadian Journal of Surgery 55, no. 5 (2012): E8-E9, accessed February 1, 2014, http://eds.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.gsu.edu/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=34d88c2f-9c0a-445b-95e6-031823e06676%40sessionmgr198&vid=4&hid=105
More medical discoveries and advances are occurring every day. Medical treatments and understanding of the human anatomy have come a long way. Though if it weren’t for certain Anatomists, we may have not have had the right comprehension of the human body which could have led to errors in surgery and more deaths while treating patients. The Renaissance period was a time where Anatomists searched for clearer understanding of the human body. During the Renaissance period, Anatomists questioning and experimentation led to great discoveries of the human body.
For these reasons, thoughts on human dissection were more relaxed than in Greece. While other physicians were concerned with cultural restrictions, Herophilus and Erasistratus were able to thrive in a progressive climate. However, more research can be done to show the effect of their work on other physicians in Alexandria and on the development of human dissection there. Although Greece and Alexandria were closely intertwined economically and geographically, the varying cultural factors and the resources at hand allowed for a physical investigation into the human body. While discussing the history of dissection, it is necessary to bring clarification to the 1,000 year absence of human dissection in Greek culture after Herophilus’ and Erasistratus’ investigations.
overall analysis, one point that stands out it, through his article, the author has been able
While it is easy to stand back and scorn the subjectivity of the ancient Greeks’ medical practices and laugh at their notions of human anatomy, it is important to recognize that all “science” has a degree of cultural influence. It is true that their sweet and sour pessaries, cures of sex, and anatomical understanding that was based on “Love” would be ridiculous in the modern western society, but rather than view their methods as “bad science,” we can use them as a rich source for discovering cultural values. Love was at the center of their science of healing, and this shows us that it was not an isolated phenomenon in Greek society, but enveloped all aspects of life – spiritual, emotional and physical.
ics and antiseptics led to a new era in medicine which resulted in surgery developing rapidly as saving peoples lives through operations became a reality. However, before this time the chance of patients surviving after an operation were a lot slimmer due to the lack of knowledge about infection, pain and bleeding. Although surgery has always been a key feature in medicine throughout history it has not always been the most important. Throughout ancient medicine surgery was quite basic and no major developments were made in this area. There were a number of factors more important than surgery at the time.
Surgery comes from Greek via Latin: meaning "hand work". Surgery is an ancient medical procedure that uses specific techniques on a patient to investigate and treat a small or severe condition such as disease or injury. Surgery can be used for different reasons; some might be to help improve body function or appearance, and some maybe for religious reasons. There are many types of surgeries (e.g. neuro, cardiac, plastic, oral, podiatric etc., etc.). Surgery originally started in France in the 16th century, but was very rarely used. This French surgery was also only preformed for minor uses. Surgery back then was very risky and only a few patients survived. Now you might be thinking, what kind of doctors were those idiots, but think again, does surgery only need a very highly educated surgeon? The simple answer is no. The reason or should I say the greatest reason was that of the tools.
The most important and influential discovery was the practice of surgery. With this invention, human life became more sophisticated, humans lived longer, and we obtained a knowledge of ourselves sufficient enough to break the boundaries built by ignorance. Lacking prescription drugs, accurate tools, computer technology, and any background experience to build from, our ancestors struggled to learn how to repair the human body. They did an suprisingly competent job of treating the sick and injured. Some of the medical technology developed in ancient times surpassed anything available in the modern world until the 18th century or 19th century. In eras wherein religious views took precedence over medicine and logic, surgical advancement was difficult. The knowledge we have now was obtained from these people's exploits.