history

• Pasteur's development of a vaccination for anthrax
• William Röntgen's discovery of x-rays
• Karl Landsteiner's discovery of blood groups, making transfusions possible
• Paul Ehrlich's discovery of the first magic bullet, Salvarsan 606
• Start of the First World War
• Albert Hustin's discovery that sodium citrate stops blood from clotting, making storage for transfusion possible
• Marie Curie's development of mobile x-ray units to be used to detect shrapnel on the frontline
• Use of chlorine gas on troops at Loos
• Use of chlorine-phosgene gas on troops at Ypres
• The Battle of the Somme
• First blood depot at the Battle of Cambral
• Use of mustard gas on troops at Ypres
• Fleming's discovery of penicillin
• Discovery of the second magic bullet, Prontosil
• Florey and Chain's development of Fleming's discovery of penicillin into a usable treatment
• Launch of the NHS
• Franklin, Watson and Crick's discovery of the structure of DNA
• Mapping of the Human Genome
• Why was improvement needed in surgery?

  It was so painful that some patients even died from the trauma.
• What was the consequence of not keeping the room, wound, instruments, or surgeon's hands clean before germ theory?

  Patients developed infections and sometimes died from them.
• What was the first breakthrough treatment for syphilis mentioned in the study material?

  Salvarsan 606
• How did anaesthetics impact the risk of infection during surgeries?

  Anaesthetics led to more complicated surgeries, increasing the risk of infection.
• What realization did Joseph Lister have after reading Pasteur's germ theory?

  He realized that microbes must cause the disease he saw in dead patients.
• What did Lister develop to kill the microbes that cause infection?

  A carbolic acid spray
• Why did many surgeons initially reject the use of antiseptics?

  Germ theory was very new, and many surgeons did not believe it.
• What were the conditions of surgery by 1900?

  Surgery was made aseptic: instruments were cleaned with steam, rooms were spotless, and surgeons wore clean gowns.
• Who first used ether as an anaesthetic and in what year?

  Robert Liston in 1846
• What were the drawbacks of using ether as an anaesthetic?

  Ether caught fire easily and made patients vomit.
• Who discovered chloroform and in what year?

  James Simpson in 1847
• What was a major risk associated with chloroform as an anaesthetic?

  It was easy to give too much, leading to complications.
• How did Queen Victoria's use of chloroform influence its popularity?

  Her use of chloroform during childbirth made it more popular.
• What was the impact of anaesthetics on surgical procedures?

  Anaesthetics allowed surgeons to perform much longer and more complicated operations.
• What was the significance of the year 1909 in the context of surgery?

  It marked the development of the first treatment for syphilis.
• What was the main issue with the first treatment for syphilis?

  It did not effectively treat the syphilis bacillus.
• What was the role of Alexander Fleming in the context of surgery?

  He noticed something significant in 1928 that contributed to medical advancements.
• What was the impact of antiseptics on surgical practices by the 1890s?

  Antiseptics were used in all surgeries.
• What was a common consequence of surgeries before the introduction of antiseptics?

  Many more patients died from infection.
• What was the significance of carbolic acid in surgery?

  It was used by Lister to kill microbes that cause infection.
• How did the understanding of germ theory change surgical practices?

  It led to the acceptance of antiseptics and improved surgical hygiene.
• What was a major limitation of the carbolic acid spray developed by Lister?

  The spray was very harsh and damaged the surgeons’ hands.