How did people get surgeries done before anesthesia was invented? How were they able to stay still and not move around during the procedures?
There’s no way people could just grit their teeth and feel being cut, could they? The pain alone had to make people act out.
In: Biology
Well, they couldn’t really stay still during surgeries without anesthesia.
In most cases, the patient was literally held down by a few strong guys, or tied down to the table for that matter. (Just imagine them struggle to hold on the pain-driven flopping patient).
At one point, they invented operating tables with metal buckles to keep patients from moving.
It was common to give the person getting the surgery considerable amounts of alcohol or drugs (opium, etc.), to ease the pain.
Also, sometimes they would give the patient something to bite on (leather belt, lead bullet).
The surgeon did his best to finish the procedure quickly.
Later, they eventually started using ether and chloroform untill the invention of the modern anesthesia
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