Hektoen International

A Journal of Medical Humanities

Category: Surgery

  • Sir James Paget

    JMS PearceHull, England James Paget (1814–1899) is remembered for his original accounts of “osteitis deformans,” universally known as Paget’s disease of bone,1 and for his original description of Paget’s disease of the nipple, a sign of intraductal carcinoma.2 He made extensive contributions to pathology3 and to surgery.4 As a student at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, he was…

  • John Abernethy: A controversial surgeon

    JMS PearceHull, England John Abernethy (1764–1831) was renowned more for his brilliant teaching than for his surgical skills, but as an eccentric and gifted communicator, he attracted many students and admirers.1 A stalwart of medical education, he was a founder of St. Bartholomew’s Hospital medical school. Yet, at times he was fractious, peevish, and prone…

  • A “semi-slaughter and a scandal of surgery”: The first documented tracheostomy in history

    Matthew TurnerHershey, Pennsylvania, United States Surgical tracheostomy has been known to humans for thousands of years. The ancient Hindu book of medicine, the Rig Veda, dating to approximately 2000 BC, discusses the healing of throat incisions; the ancient Egyptians may have been aware of the technique as well. According to legend, Alexander the Great used…

  • Early depictions of reconstructive surgery: The tubed pedicle flap

    Ariana ShaariRutgers, New Jersey, United States The history of head and neck reconstruction is as rich as it is complex. Reconstructive techniques in this domain are broadly categorized as local pedicle flaps, regional flaps, and free flaps.1 These methods trace their origin to ancient practices, with renowned surgeon Sushruta’s use of the forehead flap for…

  • The history of operating on the abdomen (laparotomy)

    For many centuries, “laparotomy” (derived from the Greek “lapara”, “flank or soft part”, and “tome”, “to cut”) was considered extremely dangerous and rarely attempted. There is a poorly documented report on Jacob Nufer, an Austrian or Swiss veterinarian or even pig farmer, who around the year 1550 saved the life of his wife by removing…

  • James Robinson: First anaesthetic in England

    JMS PearceHull, England The dramatic benefits of ether anesthesia spread astonishingly quickly from the New World to the Old.1-3 James Robinson (1813–1862), a Guy’s Hospital trained dental surgeon, practiced at 14 Gower Street. A few doors away lived Francis Boott, an American expatriate physician. The Royal Mail steamship Acadia, on 16 December 1846, docked in…

  • Tonsillectomy, then and now

    The story of tonsillectomy can be traced back to antiquity. As early as 2000 BC, Ayurvedic doctors used primitive tools and herbal remedies to remove their patients’ pus-laden tonsils. In Roman times, Cornelius Celsus (25 BC–50 AD) shelled out tonsils with only his fingers, Galen of Pergamon used a wire snare (121–200 AD), and Paul…

  • William Bradley Coley: Visionary or snake oil salesman?

    Jayant RadhakrishnanChicago, Illinois, United States Dr. William Bradley Coley graduated with a B.A. in the Classics from Yale College. He then taught Latin and Greek in Portland, Oregon, for two years before entering Harvard Medical School. After completing the three-year Harvard course in two years, he passed a competitive examination and was appointed an intern…

  • The surgeon

    Joseph RumenappChicago, Illinois, United States He kicked the scrub sink again—only a trickle. He missed the smell of the iodine in the morning, almost as much as he missed the chill of the operating room itself. “Don’t bother, Doc,” the scrub nurse chimed behind him. “You won’t be touching sterile anyway.” He walked into the…

  • Burn

    Arthur WilliamsCincinnati, Ohio, United States Adapted from a chapter of the novel Krooked Ketamine (self-published, 2024) by Arthur Williams. As a surgeon, I have performed a fair amount of skin grafts over the years. To need a skin graft, a person has to have sustained a serious injury, usually a terribly painful burn or an…