a revolution in medicine

• Surgery

  Medical procedure involving incision and manipulation of tissues.
• Anaesthetics

  Substances used to induce loss of sensation or consciousness.
• Humphry Davy

  Discovered nitrous oxide as a local anaesthetic.
• Nitrous Oxide

  Also known as laughing gas, used for local anaesthesia.
• Horace Wells

  Pioneered nitrous oxide use in dental surgery.
• William Morton


  Introduced ether as a widely used anaesthetic.
• Ether

  Flammable anaesthetic effective in pain prevention.
• James Simpson

  Discovered chloroform as a general anaesthetic in 1847.
• Chloroform

  Replaced ether; allowed complex surgeries without pain.
• Robert Liston

  Famous surgeon known for rapid amputations.
• Mortality Rates

  High rates of death due to surgical infections.
• Blood Loss

  Significant concern during surgeries in the 19th century.
• Infection

  Major cause of post-surgical mortality.
• John Snow

  Developed chloroform inhaler for safer anaesthetic use.
• Chloroform Inhaler

  Device controlling chloroform dosage for patients.
• Queen Victoria

  Used chloroform during childbirth, promoting its safety.
• Public Opposition

  Resistance to anaesthetics based on religious and safety concerns.
• Church Opposition

  Belief that pain in childbirth is divinely ordained.
• Hannah Greener

  Victim of chloroform overdose during surgery.
• Sore Throat

  Common complaint after ether anaesthesia.
• Complex Operations

  Surgeries requiring more precision, enabled by anaesthetics.
• Anaesthetic Risks

  Potential dangers associated with improper anaesthetic administration.
• Surgical Speed

  Necessity for quick procedures due to pain and blood loss.
• Public Reassurance

  Queen Victoria's endorsement increased acceptance of chloroform.
• Miasma

  Ancient belief that diseases were caused by bad air.
• Germ Theory

  Theory stating germs cause diseases, established by Pasteur.
• Spontaneous Generation

  Belief that germs arise from decaying matter.
• Louis Pasteur


  French chemist who developed germ theory.
• Bacteria

  Microbes identified by Pasteur as causing spoilage.
• Swan Neck Flask Experiment

  Demonstrated airborne microbes cause contamination.
• Robert Koch

  German doctor who identified specific disease-causing bacteria.
• Industrial Dyes

  Used by Koch to stain bacteria for identification.
• Anthrax


  First disease linked to a specific bacterium by Koch.
• Vaccines

  Preventive treatments developed from germ theory discoveries.
• Chicken Cholera Vaccine

  Accidental vaccine discovered by Pasteur through observation.
• Charles Chamberland

  Pasteur's assistant who helped discover chicken cholera immunity.
• Petri Dish

  Invented by Petri, crucial for growing bacteria.
• Franco-Prussian War

  Conflict that spurred rivalry and funding for Pasteur and Koch.
• Joseph Lister

  Pioneered antiseptic surgery using carbolic acid.
• Antiseptic Surgery

  Surgical practice aimed at reducing infection risk.