Surgery - During 1850

Question 1

What was the duration of medical training for doctors in the mid 1840s?

Answer 1

4 years

Question 2

How dangerous was surgery in the mid-19th Century?

Answer 2

Extremely dangerous

Question 3

What was commonly used to control blood loss during surgery?

Answer 3

Tourniquet

Question 4

What were the three types of pain relief available in surgery during the 1850s

Answer 4

• Opium
• Alcohol
• Being knocked unconscious

Question 5

What were the three types of operations that surgeons performed in the 1840s?

Answer 5

• Amputation
• Trephining
• Removal of superficial tumours

Question 6

In the 1850s, how were operations typically conducted regarding speed and pain management?

Answer 6

Carried out quickly and pain was ignored

Question 7

What was a significant danger following surgery in the 1850s?

Answer 7

Infection

Question 8

Where were surgeries commonly performed during the 1850s?

Answer 8

Patients’ homes

Question 9

What was the typical attire of surgeons during surgeries in the mid-19th Century?

Answer 9

Old, unclean clothes

Question 10

What practices regarding surgical equipment were common in the 1850s?

Answer 10

• Equipment was not sterilised
• Equipment was not cleaned
• Bandages were reused often

Question 11

What percentage of patients with leg amputations died of blood poisoning?

Answer 11

Almost half