- On the field of battle, surgeons often had to amputate limbs quickly and with no anesthetic.Photos.com/Photos.com/Getty Images
Because infections easily got out of hand during this time period, amputation tools were unfortunately necessary items for most doctors. One used frequently was the amputation saw, a curved blade used to made a circular cut through skin and muscle prior to the use of the amputation saw, which was used to sever the bone. - Modeled on this fireplace bellows, the tobacco-smoke enema was thought to improve respiration.Stockbyte/Stockbyte/Getty Images
The tobacco smoke enema, which is just what it sounds like, was used to resuscitate drowning victims. According to Surgical Technologists, "a tube was inserted into the rectum and connected to a fumigator. The fumigator and bellows pumped smoke through the tube and into the anus." A popular phrase about blowing smoke up one's rectum was coined because of the doubts people had about the efficacy of this treatment. - This long, metal instrument was a shaft equipped with a spring-loaded blade hidden inside. It was inserted into the bladder and intended to remove stones; once inserted, the spring handle was released and the blade could scrape away deposits inside the bladder. It was used starting in the 1740s.
- This rusted version of a ceremonial knife is similar to those used in circumcisions.Hemera Technologies/Photos.com/Getty Images
During the 1700s in many parts of the world, circumcisions were performed for ritual and health reasons. Knives used for this purpose were often ornate, with ivory handles and scroll work, since they were often part of a religious ceremony. The long, serrated blade was intended to neatly cut the foreskin with a minimal amount of blood loss. - Without our advanced imaging technology, surgeons often drilled holes in the brain to relieve pressure or blood pooling.Jupiterimages/Polka Dot/Getty Images
If a patient had a headache or other specific, non-life-threatening complaint, an updated take on the use of leeches called a blood-letting tool was used. It contained three sharp blades that could cut open a vein in the inflamed area and a surgeon would allow blood to drain to relieve pressure. Similarly, if someone suffered a more severe head injury, the process of trepanning could be used, where a medical instrument was used to drill a hole in the skull to relieve cranial swelling. Tourniquets, instruments with a crank handle to tighten a strap around the arm, would minimize blood flow if an amputation was needed.
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