Explain why there was rapid change in surgical treatments in the period c.1700 – c.1900
[12 marks]
There was rapid change in surgical treatments in the period c.1700 to c.1900 as there was
vast progress in many areas of medicine that had encountered very little to no change since
medieval times.
Florence Nightingale vastly improved medical and surgical treatments in the 1800s by
advocating for sanitary hospitals. In the Crimean War, Nightingale rapidly increased the
mortality rate from 40% to 2%, all by having sanitary wards, separating patients and having
good ventilation. This reduced risk of infection from injuries, and soldiers would no longer
die from small wounds. Her success led to the improvement of hospitals with cleaner
conditions, and more highly trained nurses. This led to rapid change in surgical treatments
as it linked germs and exterior conditions to infection.
Joseph Lister led to rapid change in surgical treatments between c.1700 and c.1900 as he
applied Pasteur’s Germ Theory to surgery. He realised that if food could decay, so could the
flesh. He used carbolic acid on wounds to remove bacteria, to lower the risk of infection.
Although the use of carbolic acid was not popular, the idea about germs causing infection
was spread. This led to rapid change in surgical treatments as it led to aseptic surgical
conditions, which significantly improved mortality rate.
James Simpson used chloroform to relieve pain for women in childbirth. Queen Victoria
used chloroform in the birth of Prince Leopold and spoke highly of it, significantly improving
its popularity. This was the first pain reliever for childbirth, and although there were
religious arguments, it greatly improved the mortality rate for both mother and baby, and
led to more development of pain medications for other medical treatments, including
surgery.
These three individuals and their contributions in medicine led to rapid change in surgical
treatments in the period c.1700 and c.1900. They displayed the importance of sanitary
hospitals and surgical conditions, related Germ Theory to surgery and shared the idea about
aseptic surgery and cleaning wounds, and improvements in pain relief, focusing on
childbirth.
[12 marks]
There was rapid change in surgical treatments in the period c.1700 to c.1900 as there was
vast progress in many areas of medicine that had encountered very little to no change since
medieval times.
Florence Nightingale vastly improved medical and surgical treatments in the 1800s by
advocating for sanitary hospitals. In the Crimean War, Nightingale rapidly increased the
mortality rate from 40% to 2%, all by having sanitary wards, separating patients and having
good ventilation. This reduced risk of infection from injuries, and soldiers would no longer
die from small wounds. Her success led to the improvement of hospitals with cleaner
conditions, and more highly trained nurses. This led to rapid change in surgical treatments
as it linked germs and exterior conditions to infection.
Joseph Lister led to rapid change in surgical treatments between c.1700 and c.1900 as he
applied Pasteur’s Germ Theory to surgery. He realised that if food could decay, so could the
flesh. He used carbolic acid on wounds to remove bacteria, to lower the risk of infection.
Although the use of carbolic acid was not popular, the idea about germs causing infection
was spread. This led to rapid change in surgical treatments as it led to aseptic surgical
conditions, which significantly improved mortality rate.
James Simpson used chloroform to relieve pain for women in childbirth. Queen Victoria
used chloroform in the birth of Prince Leopold and spoke highly of it, significantly improving
its popularity. This was the first pain reliever for childbirth, and although there were
religious arguments, it greatly improved the mortality rate for both mother and baby, and
led to more development of pain medications for other medical treatments, including
surgery.
These three individuals and their contributions in medicine led to rapid change in surgical
treatments in the period c.1700 and c.1900. They displayed the importance of sanitary
hospitals and surgical conditions, related Germ Theory to surgery and shared the idea about
aseptic surgery and cleaning wounds, and improvements in pain relief, focusing on
childbirth.
