3. rev significance of Pare's work Flashcards
(11 cards)
What was Ambroise Paré’s job?
A French barber-surgeon.
How were gunshot wounds commonly treated before Paré?
By pouring boiling oil into them.
What did Paré use instead of boiling oil for wounds, and why?
A soothing digestive balm (egg yolk, rose oil, turpentine) because he ran out of boiling oil.
Why was Paré’s new wound treatment significant?
It was more humane and more effective, showing a gentler approach worked better.
How was bleeding stopped after amputations traditionally?
By cauterising (burning) the stump with a hot iron.
What method did Paré popularise to stop bleeding after amputations?
Using ligatures (tying off blood vessels with silk threads).
What were the advantages of using ligatures over cauterisation?
Less painful, reduced risk of shock, and cleaner.
What was a potential risk of using ligatures?
Risk of infection if the threads weren’t clean.
What kind of approach did Paré have to medicine?
A practical, observational approach, willing to challenge old ideas based on what he saw worked.
In what historical period was Paré a key figure in moving medicine forward?
The Renaissance.
What was the immediate, short-term, and long-term significance of Ambroise Paré’s work in surgery?
Immediate: Replaced painful boiling oil with soothing balms for wounds and began using ligatures instead of cauterisation in amputations, making treatment instantly more humane.
Short-term: His innovations led to better patient recovery and lower death rates from wounds and amputations in the hospitals where his methods were adopted.
Long-term: His practical, observational approach helped medicine move towards more humane and effective surgical practices, setting a precedent for challenging old, harmful traditions and influencing later developments in surgical care.
