Horror, Sleaze and Trash.

5 notes

Before the development of anaesthetics the best way to reduce pain and enhance survival during surgical interventions was to finish the procedures as quickly as possible. Robert Liston was a renowned Scottish surgeon who, during the 1800′s, made a name for himself for carrying out incredible swift surgical procedures, earning the reputation of ‘the fastest knife in the west end’. He instructed his students to time him during each surgery. He removed a 45lb tumour in under 4 minutes and amputated a leg in 2 ½.

Understandably the incredible speed of these surgeries also introduced a reduction in precision. During the 2 ½ minute amputation of a leg Liston also accidentally removed the patient’s testicles. He is also famous for conducting a surgery so hasty that it resulted in a 300% mortality rate - the patient whose leg was amputated died from gangrene, the assistant helping Liston accidentally had two fingers removed during the surgery and would also later die from gangrene, and a spectator came so close to being sliced with the surgical knife that he died from fright.

While this dramatic record would suggest he was a poor doctor, he was working within a field that had yet to develop anaesthesia or even basic surgical hygiene protocol - in fact Liston was known for holding the surgical knife between his teeth when he needed his hands free. He was a fantastic surgeon in an era where survival was dependent on how quickly a limb or tumour could be removed, and had steadfast integrity in a field that was brimming with corruption and exploitation.