Episode 10: Surgery Might Have Been a Bad Idea

About this episode

This episode explores the gruesome history of surgery from the Renaissance to the Victorian era, highlighting the dangers and misconceptions of the time.

The journey from the gruesome spectacles of the Renaissance anatomical theaters to the deadly, yet pivotal, era of Victorian surgery reveals a harrowing chapter in medical history. The combination of rampant infection, blinding speed necessitated by agonizing pain, and a stubborn adherence to the flawed Miasma Theory made the operating theatre a place of terror. SOURCES: Book: Mystery of the Exploding Teeth - Thomas Morris Book: Quackery - Lydia Kang, MD Book: The Butchering Art - Lindsey Fitzharris Book: Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers - Mary Roach https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/padua-oldest-permanant-anatomical-theater https://www.sciencefocus.com/the-human-body/joseph-lister-and-the-grim-reality-of-victorian-surgery https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8083913/ https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/miasma-theory https://bathmedicalmuseum.org/the-yankee-dodge-anaesthesia-in-bath/ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3595629/ https://anaesthetists.org/Home/Heritage-centre/Learning/Biographies/Henry-Hill-Hickman-1800-1830 https://www.history.com/articles/ether-and-chloroform…

Topics covered

• Renaissance anatomy
• Victorian surgery
• medical history
• Miasma Theory

Keywords

• infection
• anatomical theaters
• surgery
• medical practices

Mentioned in this episode

Products: Mystery of the Exploding Teeth, Quackery, The Butchering Art, Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers

Books & works: Mystery of the Exploding Teeth, The Butchering Art, Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers

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