091322 140 year history - A4 landscape v1 digital - Flipbook - Page 39
ca. 1900
Alfred Roberts Operating Theatre
By 1900 the hospital had adopted the new
practice of carrying out surgery under aseptic
conditions. This greatly reduced the risk of the
patient getting a bacterial infection. Surgeons
had long given up wearing blood-stained frock
coats and the theatre team in this picture are all
wearing white caps and long white gowns. There
are no gloves to be seen but that is probably
because rubber gloves in those days were thick
and reduced feeling in the fingers. The doctor
sitting by the patient’s head has anaesthetised
him by sprinkling chloroform onto a wire and
linen mask over his mouth and nose.
RPA Museum Image Collection
39
