By Vania Raebel | June 21, 2019
There are different kinds of germs and they can invade plants, animals, and humans alike. While some germs are usually present in the body, some of them can also make us sick and can even cause death. People didn’t know about germs until the mid-1800s, so they weren’t really concerned about cleaning instruments for surgery.
Back then, instruments used for surgical procedures weren’t washed or sterilized before use. This means that any surgeries performed prior to the mid-1800s were basically unsterile. This would have greatly increased the risk of infections and other postoperative complications.
