ON THE HISTORY OF SURGICAL INSTRUMENTARIUM - 7 - THE FIRST ELECTROSURGICAL INSTRUMENTARIUM - GALVANOCAUTERY AND ELECTRICAL CUTTING SNARE

In 1854 the surgeon Albrecht Theodor Middeldorpf (1824-1868) published the first monography on the application of electrical current in surg ical operations (''galvanocautery''). By galvanocautery Middeldorpf de fined a procedure in which specially constructed parts of surgical ins truments (usually thin platinum wires) were transformed into glowing h eat by means of galvanic current from a zinc-platinum-battery. In this manner it was possible to perform dissection and destruction of tissu e as well as coagulation of vessels for hemostasis. His most important electrosurgical instruments comprised an electrosurgical knife (''gal vanocautery'') and the electrical cutting snare (''ligatura candens'') for removal of polypoid tumors. These instruments are the direct ance stors of modem electrocautery or cautery snare. The glowing platinum w ire was later also applied as a light source of cystoscopes. Thus, gal vanocautery enabled development of endoscopy. Modem diathermy with hig h-frequent alternating current was introduced in medicine by the Derma tologist Franz Nagelschmidt from Berlin.