Who discovered Catgut suture?

Combined AIIMS - 2020 (Jodhpur, Bhopal, Patna, Raipur)

Medical & Surgical Nursing

Easy

Appeared in: Combined AIIMS - 2020 (Jodhpur, Bhopal, Patna, Raipur)

Explanation

Galen of Pergamon, a highly influential Greek physician from the 2nd century AD, is historically credited with being one of the first to describe and use sutures made from animal intestines (catgut) to close wounds.
His work in anatomy and surgery, documented in extensive writings, laid the foundation for medical practice for over a thousand years.
The use of an absorbable material like catgut was a major innovation in ancient surgery, improving the process of wound healing.

Option B: Louis Pasteur was a 19th-century French biologist and chemist, not an ancient physician. His work was fundamental to microbiology, not the invention of sutures.
Option C: Robert Hooke was a 17th-century English scientist. His major contributions were in physics and microscopy, including coining the biological term 'cell'. He was not involved in the development of surgical materials.
Option D: Linda Richards was a pioneering American nurse in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. She is celebrated as the first professionally trained nurse in the U.S. and for her contributions to nursing education and patient records, not ancient surgery.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain History of Surgical Sutures as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Understanding the history of surgical materials provides context for the evolution of modern sutures. Catgut was one of the first absorbable sutures, a principle that is still fundamental in surgery today.
While natural catgut is rarely used in modern medicine due to the risk of inflammatory reactions and potential for disease transmission (like BSE), its historical importance led to the development of safer, synthetic absorbable sutures (e.g., Vicryl, Monocryl).
What if the question asked who made catgut sutures safe? The answer would be Joseph Lister, who, in the 1860s, introduced the practice of sterilizing catgut with carbolic acid, drastically reducing post-surgical infections.

How to Approach the Question

This is a factual recall question about medical history.
First, identify the key terms in the question: "discovered" and "Catgut suture."
Consider the time period associated with the discovery. Sutures are an ancient surgical tool.
Evaluate each option based on their known historical context and field of expertise.
Galen of Pergamon is a figure from antiquity (2nd century AD) known for his foundational work in medicine and surgery.
The other three figures—Pasteur, Hooke, and Richards—are from much later periods (17th-19th centuries) and are famous for microbiology, microscopy, and nursing, respectively.

Concept Tested & Keywords

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E6 Pathology-Textbook of PATHOLOGYHarsh Mohan Part 1 (1-214) pp. 27-29, 28-30, 29-31