SREF site

For my STEF site, I chose the museum of history of medicine. The muse covered blood transfusions that I found very interesting to learn about. Doctors performed various blood transfusions using animal blood in humans which is something that is completely absurd today. I learned about the first instrument made to transfer blood between humans and how it was made on silver and bone tubes and then inserted into veins. To use this, they used animal blood vessels to make a link between the donor or recipient.
They also had exhibits centered on surgery. Doctors believed that gun shots were poisonous due to gunpowder inside of them. After removing the bullet from the patient’s body, the patient would be cleaned with boiling oil or branding iron. I feel like that could make the wound even worse just due to the violent burns on their skin. It could also probably get infected much more easily due to unsterile instruments.