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 15 flashcards. This is a high-frequency topic, so it is worth revising until the explanation feels precise and repeatable. It is section 3 of 16 in this topic. Use this deep dive to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and 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) |
Practice questions for The Surgery Revolution
Who introduced chloroform as an anaesthetic in 1847?
What antiseptic did Joseph Lister use in surgery from 1867?
Quick recall flashcards
What did Lister use as an antiseptic?
Carbolic acid spray (from 1867)
When did Simpson introduce chloroform?
1847