Surgeries During the Middle Ages

During the Middle Ages, many surgeries were held. Surgeries in the Medieval world were fraught with danger, unlike today’s surgeries. Many patients died out of shock or immense pain before the surgery was even over. Painkillers for all uses were normally mixtures made from plants, herbs, or alcohol. But sometimes, these painkillers/anesthesia mixtures did not work, nor did they keep patients asleep. Hugh of Lucca, an Italian doctor from the 13^th century would tie up patients to the operating table during the surgery in case the patient woke up halfway through. This obviously was not a good thought to the patients.

       Surgeons did not only work in their own little villages and towns, but also on the battlefield. Small operating rooms were kept near battle sites so that victims of war would have doctors nearby. Battlefield surgeons became practiced at dealing with sword and arrow wounds. Surgeons and other people of the Medieval times believed that gunpowder was poisonous like a snakebite. Therefore, they treated them like a snake bite. Surgeons would split open the wound, and pour in a boiling hot liquid oil mixture; this was an excruciating pain. To seal them up, they would sometimes stick red-hot pokers into their flesh, which caused there to not be enough skin to cover the wound. Many soldiers either died from infection, or bled to death because of this.