The aim of this lesson is to assess how much and how far surgery improved during the 19th century, considering the problems of pain, infection and blood loss and the developments that helped surgeons overcome these challenges.

The lesson is split into three key parts: pain, infection and blood loss and could take two to three lessons to deliver, depending on the pace and needs of the class.

Students begin by exploring the problems of pain before the introduction of anaesthetics and why surgery was often extremely difficult and dangerous. Students then learn how surgery ‘advanced’ with the introduction of ether by William Morton and chloroform by James Simpson.

A summarising pyramid challenges students to think about the advantages and disadvantages of these new drugs and understand why there was opposition to anaesthetics.

In the second part of the lesson, students examine the new techniques introduced by Joseph Lister, including his use of carbolic acid and the carbolic spray. Students use source evidence to evaluate Lister’s significance and assess the impact of his work over time, considering how far antiseptic surgery helped to make operations safer.

Finally, in the third part of the lesson, students use a thinking quilt to question and comprehend the advances made in blood transfusions. Students investigate the role played by the First World War in developing blood transfusion and surgery further and consider why these developments were important for the progress of surgery.

The lesson includes GCSE practice questions with model answers, helping students develop their examination technique and understand what makes an effective response. There are also video links covering surgery in the past and present, allowing students to compare surgical methods and challenge the idea of how much surgery has really progressed.

Students can summarise the topic by creating a road map using road signs, showing the major advances, setbacks and pitfalls in the development of surgery over time. This provides an engaging way for students to bring together their knowledge of pain, infection and blood loss.

The lesson is enquiry based, with a key question introduced at the start using a lightbulb key question and revisited at the end. This allows students to track their progress and reach a judgement about how far surgery improved during the 19th century.

Included in this lesson:
Fully editable PowerPoint
Pain and the problems of surgery
William Morton and ether
James Simpson and chloroform
Opposition to anaesthetics
Summarising pyramid activity
Joseph Lister and antiseptic surgery
Source analysis and evaluation
Blood loss and blood transfusions
The role of the First World War
Thinking quilt activity
GCSE practice questions with model answers
Retrieval and knowledge-building activities
Differentiated materials
Suggested teaching strategies

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