Purple Pen Podcast

In this very special holiday episode, Dan and Kristin are joined by Dr Lindsey Fitzharris. Lindsey has a PhD in History from Oxford University and authored the wonderful book “The Butchering Art” which details the efforts of Joseph Lister to make surgery safer. We discuss: What surgery was like before anaesthetics and antiseptics How these agents were introduced to Britain Why you didn’t want surgery in a hospital in the 1800s Two key surgeons in Victorian Britain: Liston and Lister Joseph Lister’s relentless drive to introduce antiseptics to surgical practice Lots of gory details about surgery 150 years ago!