Surgery is as old as humanity, for anyone who has ever stanched a wound has acted as a surgeon. A BRIEF HISTORY OF SURGERY. History. A Brief History of Surgery. 'hand labour', from χείρ kheír "hand" and ἔργον ergón "work") is the branch of medicine that deals with the physical manipulation of a bodily structure to diagnose, prevent, or cure an ailment. If you cannot attend one, this is a valuable substitute and an introduction to this legend of surgery and medical history. His lectures on the history of medicine are funny and erudite at the same time. His lectures on the history of medicine are funny and erudite at the same time. Surgery was invented in the stone age. The History of General Surgery – A Brief Overview. He, himself, has lived quite a bit of the modern history of surgery since World War II. Some adults had holes cut in their skulls. He, himself, has lived quite a bit of the modern history of surgery since World War II. A Brief History of Surgery. Surgery, the process of opening the human body to repair an anatomic problem, really dates back to prehistory, to pre-humans in fact. Surgery usually spans minutes to hours, but it is typically not an ongoing or periodic type of treatment. Perhaps it was performed on people with head injuries to release pressure on the brain. Surgery was invented in the stone age. The History of General Surgery – A Brief Overview. Surgery is as old as humanity, for anyone who has ever stanched a wound has acted as a surgeon. Surgery (from Ancient Greek: χειρουργία, romanized: kheírourgía, lit. There is forensic evidence that the Neandertals performed trephination, opening the skull to relieve the pressure of … At least sometimes people survived the 'operation' because the bone grew back. A BRIEF HISTORY OF SURGERY. A doctor would lead you into a room (not necessarily one in a hospital), ask you to lie down, and start opening you up. 'hand labour', from χείρ kheír "hand" and ἔργον ergón "work") is the branch of medicine that deals with the physical manipulation of a bodily structure to diagnose, prevent, or cure an ailment. History of surgery. Imagine needing an operation a couple of centuries ago. Perhaps it was performed on people with head injuries to release pressure on the brain. By Tim Lambert. By Tim Lambert. Ancient Surgery. We do not know the purpose of the 'operation'. A doctor would lead you into a room (not necessarily one in a hospital), ask you to lie down, and start opening you up. No gloves, few (if any) sanitary precautions, and no anesthetic. At least sometimes people survived the 'operation' because the bone grew back. Surgery as we know it did not truly begin until the late 1800s, and even then, infection was common and outcomes were poor. Surgery usually spans minutes to hours, but it is typically not an ongoing or periodic type of treatment. In some ancient civilizations surgery reached a rather high level of development, as in India, China, Egypt, and Hellenistic Greece. There is forensic evidence that the Neandertals performed trephination, opening the skull to relieve the pressure of … Surgery, the process of opening the human body to repair an anatomic problem, really dates back to prehistory, to pre-humans in fact.