Amputation Quote by Sam Kean
“In these days before antiseptics, doctors themselves also suffered high mortality rates. Florence Nightingale, a nurse during the Crimean War (1853-1856), watched one particularly inept surgeon cut both himself and, somehow, a bystander while blundering about during an amputation. Both men contracted an infection and died, as did the patient. Nightingale commented that it was the only surgery she'd ever seen with 300 percent mortality.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Woman Who Walked in the Sky by Sam Kean, 2018
Historical medical practices were dangerous, leading to high surgeon mortality and patient deaths during surgeries.
In simple terms: Old surgeries were very risky and often killed doctors and patients.
Key Takeaway
Recognize the importance of antisepsis and safety protocols.
Themes
medicine
history
patient safety
risk
mortality
Mood
somber
reflective
Type
historical
educational
When to use this quote
- surgical training
- hospital policy
- public health education
Key Concepts
infection control
clinical error
historical context
Questions to Reflect On
- How did lack of antisepsis affect surgical outcomes?
- What lessons can be drawn for current medical safety?
A Different Perspective
Modern antiseptic techniques dramatically reduce such outcomes.
![“I asked [my father] what there was to make doctoring more disgusting than nursing, which women were always doing, and which ladies had done publicly in the Crimea. He could not tell me.” quote by Elizabeth Garrett Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/24f/elizabeth-garrett-anderson-558_crimea_i-asked-my-father-what-there-was-to-make_2248242.jpg)
