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With advances like stem cell research, 3D-printed organs, and genetically engineered viruses, it's clear that we're living in a time unimaginable to our ancestors. This makes it easy for us to forget the severity of even minor medical issues in eras when anesthesia didn't exist. Could you remain still and silent while a surgeon performed an operation on you without numbing your pain? If you think you're strong, read about Fanny Burney’s 1811 mastectomy. Still brave enough to face the unimaginable? Here are 10 spine-chilling medical tools from the past.
10. Osteotome
Though it may seem like a type of chainsaw, this medical device, created by Bernard Heine around 1830, was not designed for felling trees. The osteotome was originally employed in the practice of trepanning. The sharp spike would be driven into the patient’s skull to secure the instrument, after which the doctor turned the handle to activate the saw-like blade. The osteotome was considered more effective than a reciprocating saw or hammer and chisel, as it could cut through bone without causing splinters or damaging surrounding tissue. Later versions of the tool were adapted for use in amputations and dental surgeries.
9. Stricture Divulsor
When a male patient’s urethra became too narrow to allow normal urine flow, doctors resorted to using a stricture divulsor. Essentially, the device was inserted into the urethra through the tip of the penis and guided to the correct location. A screw on the handle was then turned to open the blades and widen the urethra as much as possible. Most doctors believed that causing a tear in a tight stricture was better than attempting to stretch it too gently, and seeing blood afterward was thought to be a sign of success. Disturbingly, some patients even preferred to turn the screw themselves, spending up to half an hour ensuring the operation met the doctor’s standards.
8. Dental Phantom
A “phantom” or model was used to allow doctors to learn and refine their skills. This particularly nightmarish, articulated dental phantom resembles something straight out of a design by H.R. Giger for the Alien movie franchise, and likely originates from the 1930s. Based on its structure, the aluminum model was probably once covered by a rubber head, which has since been lost. Earlier versions were simpler, lacking the later models’ “silent scream of a soul condemned to an eternity in Hell” aesthetic. Dental phantoms often featured human teeth removed from corpses, and today, dental students still use similar models.
7. Louse Cages
Though not a medical instrument in the traditional sense, these devices played a key role in developing a vaccine that saved countless lives. Throughout history, more soldiers perished from disease than on the battlefield. Typhus epidemics devastated armies—and ravaged impoverished areas of cities, where people lived packed together with no access to proper sanitation. The disease was spread by human lice and remained incurable until the 1920s, when Professor Rudolph Weigl invented a rather unpleasant method to produce a viable vaccine. Lice were bred, hatched, and fed on human blood, thanks to volunteers called “feeders” who strapped the cages to their thighs or calves. After the lice matured, they were infected with the disease, dissected, and used to create the vaccine.
6. Tonsil Guillotine
In a time before antibiotics, even the smallest infection could be deadly. To treat tonsillitis and its dangerous complication, peritonsillar abscess, known as quinsy, the tonsil guillotine was created. This device allowed a doctor to reach into a patient's throat, pierce the tonsil with a fork much like spearing a cocktail wiener at a Super Bowl party, and then slice through the tissue using the guillotine’s blade. By the late 1800s, a mild anesthetic—usually a cocaine solution—was injected before using the guillotine. This tool was a huge relief for doctors who had previously risked being bitten when trying to reach into a patient's mouth.
5. Hemorrhoid Forceps
Without modern conveniences like Preparation H or soft, squeezable toilet paper, people with troublesome hemorrhoids often just endured them unless a serious issue arose. If one did, ligation or amputation was the common remedy. Once the patient was bent over a table, the doctor would grab the hemorrhoid forceps. This instrument worked by tightly gripping and crushing an external hemorrhoid, cutting off its blood flow. Eventually, the damaged tissue would die and fall off. Internal hemorrhoids were first coaxed out using hooks (sounds inviting, doesn’t it?) and then either cauterized or removed with scissors.
4. Lithotome Caché
Bladder stones, or vesical calculi, were a frequent issue, especially for those on low-protein diets or those with limited resources. To treat this, doctors often performed a procedure known as 'cutting for the stone,' making an incision in the perineal raphe to access the bulb of the urethra. This is where the lithotome caché came into play. The device featured two concealed, adjustable blades that would spring out to cut and expand the neck of the bladder (ideally in a controlled fashion). The surgeon would then use forceps to probe for the calculus previously felt through the rectal wall. To minimize patient suffering in an era without anesthesia, these surgeries were typically completed in under five minutes.
3. Fetal Destructors And Extractors
In an era when a Cesarean section was nearly always fatal for the woman in labor, and the views on infant mortality were vastly different, doctors in life-threatening situations often opted to sacrifice the unborn child instead. If the fetus was already deceased, the doctor would use an instrument to decapitate the body while still inside the mother, then remove it using a hook or crochet. If the fetus was alive, the doctor would use a perforator to deliver a fatal blow before extracting it. This act was seen as a compassionate response to a tragic situation.
2. Dental Key
At a time when dental hygiene was basic, and the causes of cavities and gum disease were unknown, many people turned to doctors—or even local barbers—for relief. Before the invention of the tooth key in the early 18th century, tooth extractions were carried out with brute force. If a tooth fractured during the procedure, the doctor would have to chip away at the remaining parts with a bone chisel. The dental key, however, enabled the doctor to clamp the tooth and, by twisting or rocking the key, lever the tooth out, roots and all—without anesthesia. It’s no wonder people delayed treatment for as long as possible.
1. Écraseur
The écraseur, which translates from French as "crusher," was the go-to instrument for removing hemorrhoids, growths, tumors, polyps, and cysts in areas like the esophagus, larynx, uterus, and ovaries. The tool featured a loop at the end, which could be equipped with either a serrated chain or a simple wire. The purpose was to encircle the base of the growth, applying pressure to strangle and crush it while preventing excessive bleeding by restricting blood flow, much like a tourniquet. The doctor would turn a screw to tighten the loop around the growth. Over time, improvements were made to refine the écraseur's design. In veterinary medicine, similar devices were also used to castrate cattle.
