Stunning article.

"Despite Halsted's lifelong battles with addiction, not only cocaine but later morphine, he revolutionized surgery in America by elevating three concepts: anesthesia to control pain, fine instruments to stop bleeding, and antisepsis to prevent infection.
One intern observed that the surgeon's technique was so measured and precise that "there was never a moment of anxiety. I could not believe my eyes. It was like stepping into a new world."

#medecine #surgery #cocaine #JohnHopkinsHospital #anesthesia #antisepsis

https://hub.jhu.edu/magazine/2022/fall/william-halsted-breakthroughs-addiction

Stunning article.

"Despite Halsted's lifelong battles with addiction, not only cocaine but later morphine, he revolutionized surgery in America by elevating three concepts: anesthesia to control pain, fine instruments to stop bleeding, and antisepsis to prevent infection.
One intern observed that the surgeon's technique was so measured and precise that "there was never a moment of anxiety. I could not believe my eyes. It was like stepping into a new world."

#medecine #surgery #cocaine #JohnHopkinsHospital #anesthesia #antisepsis
https://hub.jhu.edu/magazine/2022/fall/william-halsted-breakthroughs-addiction

Truly unbelievable that there are people today who deny even the existence of germs. Maybe they should have Victorian, or even better, US Civil War surgery and see how they like it.
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RT @FriendsofGRI
1/10 156 years ago @thelancet published Joseph Lister’s #antisepsis theory

🦠Contamination causes infection
🦠Decontamination prevents it
🦠Basis of infection control
🦠Principles made surgery safe
🦠Saved thousands of lives

Discovered …
https://twitter.com/FriendsofGRI/status/1636246671809036289

I'm reading #SiddhartaMukherjee's new book The Song of the Cell.

My jaw just dropped at the story of #IgnazSemmelweis, who discovered #Antisepsis well before #JosephLister, but whose hand-washing protocols were eventually rejected by the scientific community.

How much this was the result of his own failings and how much those of others, you be the judge.

#Obstetrics #Midwifery #Childbirth #PuerperalFever #ChildbedFever

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2015/01/12/375663920/the-doctor-who-championed-hand-washing-and-saved-women-s-lives

Conditions in operating theatres prior to antisepsis were appalling. Most people were admitted in their ordinary clothes and surgeons operated in a suit and frock coat. This coat belonged to Joseph Lister and similar coats would be worn by a surgeon when operating.

#antisepsis #lister #surgery #surgeon #histmed #medhist