The Development of Medical Operations

In the first half of the nineteenth century, more than a hundred years ago, hospitals were little more than places for dead bodies. The word of the doctors was weakened by the fearful number of poisoning that killed patients after successful operations. "The operation was successful, but the patient died from blood poisoning ... " were the words which frequently appeared on the notice boards of the hospitals of England at that time.

The discovery and application of anesthetic had raised the practice of surgery to a high level of success. Operations which would have been unthinkable before, were successfully carried out. In spite of this, the word "hospital" inspired an awful fear in the public mind. The rate of death was much too high for them to remain calm. In fact many had even suggested abandoning the hospital system.

Great efforts were made to meet the disaster of blood poisoning which was taking a heavy part of surgery's success. The hospitals were swept clean of all dust. Windows were kept wide open, and supplies of clean towels and sheets were provided daily. But still death's hand lay heavily on the hospitals.

All this was to be prevented by the work of a young man called Joseph Lister. Basing his work upon the discoveries of Pasteur, a great chemist, Lister applied the first antiseptic measures which are now the common practice in today's hospitals. Thus the fearful death rate was checked, and many lives were saved and much suffering and pain relieved.