Medicine Through TimeDeep Dive
The Three Problems of Surgery
Part of The Surgery Revolution — GCSE History
This deep dive covers The Three Problems of Surgery within The Surgery Revolution for GCSE History. Revise The Surgery Revolution in Medicine Through Time for GCSE History with 8 exam-style questions and 4 flashcards. This is a high-frequency topic, so it is worth revising until the explanation feels precise and repeatable. It is section 3 of 12 in this topic. Use this deep dive to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
Topic position
Section 3 of 12
Practice
8 questions
Recall
4 flashcards
🧠 The Three Problems of Surgery
| Problem | Why It Mattered | Solution | Key People |
|---|---|---|---|
| PAIN | Patients screamed, struggled, went into shock | Anaesthetics | Simpson (chloroform 1847), Morton (ether 1846) |
| INFECTION | Wounds went septic; 50% death rate | Antiseptic surgery | Lister (carbolic acid 1867) |
| BLOOD LOSS | Major operations caused fatal bleeding | Blood transfusions | Landsteiner (blood groups 1901) |