![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
luthienberen posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
victorian221bmightymads invited me to post here my review of the book The Butchering Art by Lindsay Fitzharris, so here I go :-).The Butchering Art – Joseph Lister’s Quest to Transform the Grisly World of Victorian Medicine by Lindsay Fitzharris (Link to book on Amazon UK)
The book was a wonderful, grotesque yet informing journey through the transformation of medicine from not only the Age of Pain, but the Age of Infection to the understanding of what caused infection and why some wounds became inflamed and infected and not others, and the proper treatment.
Lindsay Fitzharris ushers us into the world of the 19th century with a serious yet empathetic and easy manner that horrifies and fascinates in turn. I was aware of some of the gruesome side of medicine during this era, and had a very good grasp of much of the absolute poverty and harshness of life for all classes, (particularly the poor!), but this book really delved into how life was then. Disease was rife and surgery was rarely used except when in desperate situations, for there was no anaesthesia. Only when ether was introduced did surgery become more commonplace and surgeons slowly changed from butchers into trained men who underwent formal education.
Yet with the introduction of ether, more surgeries were accomplished and the incidence of people dying from surgery increased exponentially for post-operative infection was not understood. The washing of instruments between patients, of cleaning hands and the operating theatre was nearly unheard of, let alone not wearing blood encrusted surgery aprons! Hospitals were the “Houses of Death” and to enter one was to court death.
Into this world entered Joseph Lister who was of the Quaker faith. Reading about his life is marvellous, because the man who would connect Louis Pasteur’s research about germs into a revolutionary antiseptic system, began as a boy intrigued by science, (one of few pursuits allowed by his faith) and his father’s work on the microscope. In fact Joseph Lister’s father improved the microscope so it became more accurate – feats lauded by those who used the microscope and foresaw its usefulness.
Indeed, Lister’s fascination and firm devotion to the microscope was an important factor in advancing his theories, at a time when a great swathe of the medical establishment derided the instrument!
Lister’s faith produced a humble compassionate man who believed that everyone ought to be treated with the same care as afforded by the wealthy.
As Lister embarked on his career in medicine and delved into surgery, he questioned the causes for infection, realising that the common theory of the day, transmission of illness by “miasma” or “spontaneous generation” (those adhering to these theories were called non-contagionists), could not all account for wounds festering. A few medical and non-medical men were already proposing that disease was not transmitted in this fashion but, (for example) that contagious diseases might occur through “living organisms” [e.g. William Budd in the late 1840s, page 152 of the paperback published by Penguin].
Naturally, diseases can be caused by filthy conditions, but not all, so Lister continued to search to understand the how’s and whys of inflammation. He was a practical man, seeking to understand through practice and not merely accept what had been done in the past. His students loved him for it, but again his teaching methods were resisted by those who did not see why students should learn on the scene.
His quest is remarkable, as is the resentment and refusal of the wider medical community to accept his findings and Lister’s antiseptic practices. Or in cases were they tried to replicate his practices of using carbolic acid in cleaning out wounds, keeping instruments clean and washing hands they did so slip-shoddily thereby skewering the results. Yet Lister’s kind and devoted insistence paid off and gradually his methods were accepted: first in the Scottish hospitals in which he worked by his students, then in Europe and slowly in America after a successful tour of the country.
Those who never questioned his methods of antiseptics? His patients who survived and owed limbs which instead of being amputated were saved by either being kept clean of infection or the infection being stopped.
Lister also developed “catgut” ligatures (from a sheep or goat’s intestines usually) so that they would be absorbed by the healing process and not hinder the carbolic acid in keeping the wound clear of infection.
The medical community did eventually shift from Lister’s method of antisepsis (germ killing) to asepsis (germ-free practices), but Lister’s work created the bedrock to allow this to happen.
There is an upsetting description of vivisection by another scientist so beware of that page (ref. 125 of paperback) and skip because while it was necessary it shocked me.
I would strongly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning about how medicine slowly changed into a system we recognise today and how hard fought that transformation was for Lister and his adherents.
no subject
Date: 2019-09-02 06:07 pm (UTC)Scotland was a pioneering country in many branches of science, including medicine. Again a testament that ACD studied from the best the most cutting-edge practices of the time. In his medical stories he mentions resentment of older medics to ether and vaccination.
no subject
Date: 2019-09-02 06:30 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2019-09-03 05:02 pm (UTC)Scotland was indeed the pioneer in medicine and many other areas of science. I didn't go into great depth about how much Lister's move to Scotland was providential, as I was focusing on the man and his techniques, but it truly was. He almost didn't go! I wonder still whether he would have pursued the causes of infection and developed a system if he hadn't ended up in Scotland - or if he did, how long delayed? Such is fate!
There he became the right-hand man of Professor Syme and with his mentorship and support truly delved into the world of seeking to understand source of infection and fighting to stem the tide. He even married Professor Syme's daughter!
Thank you for that information about ACD - I can well understand how studying in Scotland and under Professor Bell shaped his career and his Watson.
I think, apart from gaining an insight into the brilliant mind of Lister and the other pioneers of those days, Fitzharris' book caused me to wonder how the general climate of the time would have affected Watson - good fodder for fanfic or even original fic if you're so inclined.
no subject
Date: 2019-09-03 05:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2019-09-03 05:13 pm (UTC)Yes, I had a similar reaction when I read the book!
In my comment above to
Scotland was indeed the pioneer in medicine and many other areas of science. I didn't go into great depth about how much Lister's move to Scotland was providential, as I was focusing on the man and his techniques, but it truly was. He almost didn't go! I wonder still whether he would have pursued the causes of infection and developed a system if he hadn't ended up in Scotland - or if he did, how long delayed? Such is fate!
There he became the right-hand man of Professor Syme and with his mentorship and support truly delved into the world of seeking to understand source of infection and fighting to stem the tide. He even married Professor Syme's daughter!
I cannot recommend this book and hope you experience the joy (and sometimes horror!) and wonder I did. :D
no subject
Date: 2019-09-03 05:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2019-09-03 05:32 pm (UTC)