development in medicine

• aseptic surgery:

  • Joseph Lister's antiseptic surgery led to aseptic surgery
  • where germs stopped from getting onto operating theatre
  • by 19th century:
  • medics wore rubber gloves, clean surgical gowns and masks
  • dressings were regulary changed
  • operating theatres and hospitals cleaned - sterilised through heating (Neuber and von Bergmann)
  • surgical instruments steam sterilised
  • Koch developed steam steriliser of 1878
  • replaced with autoclaves from 1881
• X Rays:

  • discovered in 1895 by Wikhelm Rontgen
  • used to identify broken bones - improved diagnosis
  • helped on Western Front to diagnose metal in soldiers
  • limited use - early x-rays were heavy, fragile and slow
  • health risks regarding harmful radiation were not understood
• blood transfusions:

  • restored lost blood in body
  • injures by blood loss could cause death
  • transfusions developed by James Blundell in 1818-29
  • Almroth Wright solved blood clotting transfusion tubes through using acids
  • Karl Landsteiner discovered blood types and universal blood type - many got wrong blood type and got sick
  • blood transfusions rarely performed