Surgery Notes

Anaesthetics

• 1799 - Humphry Davy identified nitrous oxide (laughing gas) as a possible anaesthetic but he was largely ignored

• 1842 - Crawford Long discovered Ether and though he did not publish his work it was demonstrated in 1846. However Ether was an irritant, fairly explosive and could make you sick

• 1847 - James Simpson experimented on himself and discovered chloroform could be used

• 1848 - First death caused by Chloroform, Hannah Greener

• 1853 -Queen Victoria used chloroform for the birth of her 8th child

• Anaesthetics were objected to:

  • On religious grounds

  • Some people were suspicious of doctors using anaesthetics

  • Some were afraid of side effects and overdose

• Early anaesthetics lead to a rise in death rates because

  • Surgeons performed more complicated procedures and cut deeper

  • Surgeons took longer

  • The problems of infection and blood loss had not yet been solved

Antisepsis And Asepsis

• Antisepsis - killing bacteria in the wound

• Asepsis - Stopping bacteria getting near the wound

Antiseptics

• 1818 - Ignaz Semmelweis used Chloride of Lime to wash hands during childbirth…