Stunning article.

"Despite Halsted's lifelong battles with addiction, not only cocaine but later morphine, he revolutionized surgery in America by elevating three concepts: anesthesia to control pain, fine instruments to stop bleeding, and antisepsis to prevent infection.
One intern observed that the surgeon's technique was so measured and precise that "there was never a moment of anxiety. I could not believe my eyes. It was like stepping into a new world."

#medecine #surgery #cocaine #JohnHopkinsHospital #anesthesia #antisepsis

https://hub.jhu.edu/magazine/2022/fall/william-halsted-breakthroughs-addiction