this post was submitted on 01 Jan 2026
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History Memes

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LIGHTS OUT (media.piefed.social)
submitted 1 week ago by PugJesus@piefed.social to c/historymemes@piefed.social
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[–] PugJesus@piefed.social 25 points 1 week ago (3 children)

Explanation: Before anesthesia, it was actually considered that the best method of major surgery, like amputations, was whichever one got it done the fastest - as cutting into a conscious, writhing, screaming human being is difficult work.

Doctors putting out their patients with a single good punch is not, to my knowledge, on record, but is hilarious to think of.

[–] someguy3@lemmy.world 10 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Speed you say:

Amputated the leg in under 2 1⁄2 minutes (the patient died afterwards in the ward from hospital gangrene; they usually did in those pre-Listerian days). He amputated in addition the fingers of his young assistant (who died afterwards in the ward from hospital gangrene). He also slashed through the coat tails of a distinguished surgical spectator, who was so terrified that the knife had pierced his vitals he fainted from fright (and was later discovered to have died from shock).[29]

This episode has since been dubbed as the only known surgery in history with a 300 percent mortality rate. The situation that Gordon labels "Liston's most famous case" has been described as apocryphal.[31][32] No primary sources confirm that this surgery ever took place.[33]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Liston

[–] PugJesus@piefed.social 4 points 1 week ago

Thank you for including the disclaimer. I love that story, but I never repeat it for fear that someone will take it as more trivia than legend.

[–] notabot@piefed.social 6 points 1 week ago

Before the use of anestetics speed was very much of the essence in surgery. One Robert Liston, a surgeon of significant repute, was said to be the fastest in the business. Apparently his could amputate a leg in 28 seconds. He was also the first to use anethesia in Europe, and was known for the quality of his patient care, so he wasn't just showing off.

[–] Eq0@literature.cafe 5 points 1 week ago

There was some (I don’t know how widespread) use of strong alcohols as sedatives. Get them drunk!