author
Robert Liston
1794–1847
Famous for astonishing speed in the operating theatre, this Scottish surgeon became one of the best-known medical figures of the early 19th century. He is also remembered for carrying out the first public operation in Europe using ether anaesthesia.
1 Audiobook
Elements of Surgery
by Robert Liston
About the author
Born in Ecclesmachan, West Lothian, on 28 October 1794, Robert Liston studied anatomy and medicine in Edinburgh and built his early reputation at the Royal Infirmary there. In an age before anaesthesia, he became celebrated for operating with exceptional speed and decisiveness, qualities that could make surgery slightly less dangerous and less agonizing for patients.
After leaving Edinburgh for London, he became the first Professor of Clinical Surgery at University College Hospital. His name is especially linked with a landmark operation in December 1846, when he performed the first public operation in Europe using ether, helping mark a turning point between the old brutal world of surgery and a more modern one.
Liston was admired for technical skill and boldness, though contemporaries also described him as blunt and difficult at times. He died in London on 7 December 1847, aged 53, but his reputation endured as one of the standout surgeons of his era and a vivid figure in the story of modern surgery.