1. Briefly describe what problems surgeons faced in the early 19th century?
Pain was one of the main problems that faced surgeons in the nineteenth century, because patients were in agony during surgery therefore it was hard for surgeons to operate. Another problem was infection. After operations open wounds were infected as there were no antiseptic to kill or prevent germs, as a result many patients often died of infection. As well as pain and infection, bleeding was a problem for many surgeons. Operations were quick and often resulted in lots of blood being lost due to loss of blood at high quantities many patients died.
. Explain why Lister’s work was important in the development of surgery
Lister was important in the development of surgery during the 1800s because he began to use carbolic acid as a way of curing infection from patients. Often operations left patients with open wounds that attracted germs and caused infection. It was Lister’s discovery of carbolic acid that prevented many deaths, making him an important figure in the development of surgery.
