Old soldiers never die

Until the 19th century there were no effective anaesthetics; opium and alcohol were commonly used for that purpose and knocking patients unconscious but the results were not very satisfactory. A surgeon had to be quick; an operation could not last for too long because the patient might be killed by a post-traumatic shock, pain or complications. Wounds were closed using the technique of cauterization i.e. burning. Improved shrapnel shells (artillery missiles filled with pellets exploding in the air and injuring people) caused terrible injuries, leading to a huge number of cripples. This is why till the end of the 18th century, wooden limb prostheses had been used. Paradoxically, injuries of war veterans stimulated the development of contemporary limb prosthodontics.