Medieval Surgery

Surgery in Medieval Times

In the medieval times, surgery was rudimentary and dangerous. Few patients survived surgery. There were 3 main problems with surgery in medieval times:

Pain

Surgery was excruciatingly (very very) painful.
No anaesthetics existed and only natural anaesthetics (like hemlock or opium) existed to numb the pain.
Natural anaesthetics were dangerous because high doses could kill the patient.

Infection

There was a very limited understanding of what causes diseases and infections.
Nobody had discovered the link between dirt and disease and many doctors believed that pus in wounds helped a patient to recover.
- Many people died from infections after surgery.

Blood loss

Patients often lost a lot of blood in surgery.
There were no blood transfusions or anything similar.
Blood loss could also be fatal.

Surgery was not a respected job in medieval Europe. Lots of surgery was performed by barber surgeons. Some military surgeons learned skills to treat wounded soldiers on the battlefield. The most common surgical procedures were:

Bloodletting

Unlike doctors, there was little formal training for surgeons.
- Training was through apprenticeship.
Surgeons performed bloodletting when humours were imbalanced. By removing blood, it was believed a patient would become healthy again.

Amputation

An amputation was when a surgeon cut off a body part.
- This was often needed if a body part was painful or infected through wounds.
Given the scale of blood loss, amputations were very dangerous.

Trepanning

Trepanning was when a surgeon would make a drill hole into a human’s skull.
Surgeons used trepanning if patients were acting abnormally.
- This included being possessed by bad spirits, having a mental illness or suffering from epilepsy.

Cauterisation

Cauterisation was when surgeons burned a wound to stop blood flow or close up an amputated wound.

Medieval Progress in Surgery

There were developments in surgical procedures in the Medieval period:

Albucasis

In the 11th century, Albucasis, the Islamic physician wrote Al Tasrif, this was a 30-volume book on medicine.
- He also invented surgical instruments and popularised cauterisation.

Hugh of Lucca

In the 13th century, Hugh of Lucca argued that pus was bad for a wound.
- He began to use wine to disinfect wounds.
However, he did not succeed in overturning the dominant idea that pus was necessary for wounds to heal.

Mondino de Luzzi

In the 14th century, Mondino de Luzzi pioneered anatomy.
- He popularised dissection and wrote Anathomia which dominated medicine until the 16th century.

John of Arderne

Remembered as one of the most famous surgeons in Medieval England, John of Arderne established the ‘Guild of Surgeons’ in 1368.
He based his book, Practica, on his experiences in the war with France and his knowledge of Ancient Greek and Arab medicine.
Ardene created his own forms of painkillers from substances such as opium.

1Medicine Stands Still

1.1Ancient Egyptian Approaches to Medicine

1.1.1Ancient Egyptian Medicine

1.2Ancient Greek Medicine

1.2.1Hippocrates

1.2.2Galen & Ancient Rome

1.2.3End of Topic Test - Ideas About Disease

1.3Medieval Medicine

1.3.1The Fall of Rome

1.3.2The Medieval 'Doctor'

1.4Religion & Medicine

1.4.1Christianity & Medicine

1.4.2Islam & Medicine

1.4.3Medieval Surgery

1.5Public Health in the Middle Ages

1.5.1Towns & Monasteries

1.5.2The Black Death

1.5.3End of Topic Test - Medieval Medicine

1.5.4Grade 9 Medieval Medicine

2The Beginnings of Change

2.1The Impact of the Renaissance on Britain

2.1.1The Renaissance & Vesalius

2.1.2Paré & Harvey

2.1.3Institutions & Technology in the Renaissance

2.2Treating Illnesses in the Renaissance

2.2.1The Great Plague

2.2.2Physicians, Surgeons & Hospitals

2.2.3End of Topic Test - The Beginnings of Change

2.2.4Grade 9 - The Beginnings of Change

2.2.5Exam-Style Questions - Source Utility

2.3Prevention of Disease

2.3.1Vaccination & the Spread of Disease

2.3.2Was There Progress in Renaissance Medicine?

2.3.3Exam-Style Questions - Societal Attitudes

3A Revolution in Medicine

3.1The Development of Germ Theory & its Impact

3.1.1Germ Theory, Pasteur & Koch

3.1.2Magic Bullets & the Impact of Germ Theory

3.2A Revolution in Surgery

3.2.1Anaesthetics & Antiseptics

3.3Improvements in Public Health

3.3.1Public Health & Cholera

3.3.2C19 Improvements in Public Health

3.3.3End of Topic Test - Revolution in Medicine

3.3.4Grade 9 - Revolution in Medicine

4Modern Medicine

4.1Modern Treatment of Disease

4.1.1WW1, Pharmaceuticals & Penicillin

4.1.2Exam-Style Questions - Penicillin

4.1.3The Impact of War on Medicine

4.2New Diseases & Treatments in the 20th Century

4.2.120th Century Diseases & Treatments

4.2.2Alternative Treatments & Transplants

4.3Modern Public Health

4.3.1Booth, Rowntree & the Liberals

4.3.2The Welfare State

4.3.3The NHS

4.3.4End of Topic Test - New Diseases & Treatments

4.3.5Grade 9 - Modern Medicine

5Themes in Public Health

5.1Themes in Public Health over the Period

5.1.1War

5.1.2Exam-Style Questions - War

5.1.3Religion & Superstition

5.1.4Chance

5.1.5Government

5.1.6Communication

5.1.7Science & Technology

5.1.8Role of Individuals

5.1.9End of Topic Test - Themes in Public Health

5.1.10Grade 9 - Themes in Public Health

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