THE DEADLIEST SURGERY IN HISTORY Performed by the ‘Fastest Knife in the West End’
He was known for performing surgeries very quickly, which, in the days before anesthesia, was as much as patients could hope for on the operating table. Only 1 in 10 of his patients died on the operating table, which sounds bad until you learn that a nearby hospital reported 1 in 4 people dying from similar procedures. Also, in those days, much like crowds used to gather to watch a hanging, people found amputations to be morbidly entertaining — and who wouldn’t want to watch the fastest knife in the West End at work? So, on the fateful day of that deadly surgery, Dr. Liston, ever the showman, cut through his patient’s broken, infected leg with incredible speed — so incredible that he didn’t realize he had cut off two of his assistant’s fingers in the process. Both later died of gangrene (remember the unsanitary tools?). But theirs were not the only deaths that day. When Dr. Liston went for one of his knives, he whipped it about a little too closely to one spectator, slicing through his coat. While he didn’t actually break the man’s skin with his knife, the spectator thought he’d been stabbed and died of shock right there in the operating room.
If you had to get surgery in the early 1800s, it could be a death sentence. Before the invention of anesthesia, patients needing amputations and other operations were awake and lucid the entire time. Plus, surgery looked more like something from a horror movie than a lifesaving procedure. And it was during this era that Dr. Robert Liston, who was ironically considered one of the best surgeons of his day, performed the deadliest surgery of all time. Before getting into the particulars of what transpired during the surgery itself, you should know a little bit about Dr. Liston. Sure, he was a professional surgeon, but he was also a product of his time. He likely worked with dirty saws and knives while wearing a bloody apron in an unsanitary operating room.
He was also named the “fastest knife in the West End” by medical historian Dr. Richard Gordon.
So, instead of saving one life, Dr. Liston killed three people. It’s the only known surgery to have resulted in a 300% mortality rate.
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Halloween Cookie Pizza
Inspired by Pillsbury.com Image sourced from Pillsbury.com/recipes/halloween-cookie-pizza/ 67172821-ddfb-49ce-b658-ddc4ef4b5cf3
This one’s for the candy corn lovers! This “pizza” is far from traditional, but once you try it, you might find yourself making it every October!
Ingredients
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips • 1/4 cup vanilla frosting (store- bought or homemade)
• 1 roll Pillsbury Sugar Cookie Dough • 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter • 1 cup candy corn
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. 2. Grease a round, 12-inch pan and line with cookie dough, ensuring the dough covers all but the outer 1/2 inch. 3. Bake for 16–20 minutes until golden brown. Cool completely. 4. Spread the peanut butter over the cooled cookie dough, then sprinkle on the candy corn and chocolate chips. 5. In a small bowl, microwave the frosting for 15 seconds or until liquified. 6. Drizzle the frosting over the “pizza,” slice, and serve!
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