Meet Dr Mutter ...

February 10, 2022

Meet Dr Mutter ...

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20949450-dr-m-tter-s-marvels

T. Doney - http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/101424057

Ever wonder what having your leg amputated in the 19th century, and before, must have felt like? I strongly advise you NOT to wonder about it too much . Trust me, it was a horrific and painful ordeal. The stuff of nightmares! Lucky for us, a very clever man named Dr Thomas D Mutter decided to make it his life’s work to not only improve the circumstances under which various surgeries were performed, but to make it a less frightful experience in general. So, let me tell you a little more about the infamous Dr Mutter and what he did to change the course of future surgery.

Digital 3d render of human body organs By nicolasprimola

AdobeStock_226838422

It’s 19th century Philadelphia, anyone ( yes anyone ) can call themselves a doctor. All you need to do is put a sign outside your door and Bob’s your uncle. People in general were still a little uneducated about the human body, infectious diseases and medical treatments in general. I mean, hand washing wasn’t even a thing! Bleeding sick people was still very much a common practice and if you broke a bone you had a 50 % chance of surviving. Anesthesia wasn’t even heard of… Consider being awake when someones cutting open your chest or amputating a limb. ( This is where the author of this article does a ladylike faint ).

https://muttermuseum.org/

But, along came Dr Mutter, with his pleasant demeanor, amazing surgical skills ( he was ambidextrous, so he could perform procedures a lot faster than most ) and generally a nice guy, well liked by his peers, students and patients alike. Studying in Paris and gaining a degree from the University of Pennsylvania, Dr M used both his imported and self taught skills and knowledge as a teaching doctor at the Jefferson Medical College. His first actual patients whom required surgery, found their way to him through the college, but soon his reputation spread and patients from far and wide came to seek help from the brilliant young doctor.

11. Mutter burn reconstruction using shoulder flap (Courtesy of Yale University, Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library).https://www.researchgate.net/figure/11-Mutter-burn-reconstruction-using-shoulder-flap-Courtesy-of-Yale-University-Harvey_fig3_303953046.

Throughout his career he operated on hundreds of patients, fixing burn wounds, cleft palettes and successfully amputating many bothersome limbs. But what we need to be most grateful for is the fact that he was the first surgeon to ever administer ether anesthesia in Philadelphia, making it common practice thereafter and opened the door to alternative and safer practices in years to come.

Unfortunately he suffered from various illnesses himself and died at the young age of 47. This however didn’t stop him from collecting various medical and surgical artifacts including anatomical illustrations, wax models and actual specimens of human anatomy. These can all be viewed in Philadelphia’s Mutter Museum. Through the years many artifacts have been added, so should you have a bit of a taste of the grotesque, you can view such interesting objects like Einstein's brain or a piece of John Wilkes Booth’s backbone, the curious Soap Lady and many other creepy things.

The Soap Lady is the name given to a woman whose body was exhumed in Philadelphia in 1875. The specimen is unique because a fatty substance called adipocere encases the remains. Adipocere formation is not common, but it may form in alkaline, warm, airless environments, such as the one in which the Soap Lady was buried.

https://muttermuseum.org/exhibitions/

If you would like to know more about Dr Mutter and how he revolutionized surgery, Gnostika highly recommends getting hold of a copy of Cristin O’Keefe Aptowitcz’s book, Dr Mutter’s Marvels - A True Tale of Intrigue and Innovations at the Dawn of Modern Medicine.