On Tuesday 5th March, the history department kindly took us to London for an immersive experience learning about public health and surgery in the 19th century. We started the day off with a walking tour of London, in which we learnt about the huge issues of public health, including the ‘Great Stink’ of London, 1858. After this we had the pleasure of visiting the Old Operating Theatre Museum, containing one of the oldest standing operating theatres in Europe. After listening to a fascinating talk about the types of surgery performed within the operating theatre, as well as the awful conditions during surgery before any form of anaesthetic and antiseptic were discovered, we were able to look around the museum and view a variety of equipment, herbs and other items that would have been used for medical purposes. It was an extremely thought-provoking experience, which enabled all of us to acknowledge the huge improvements that have occurred in surgery, as well as the terrible conditions previously faced in terms of both public health and surgery.

Immy, Year 11