What is a barber surgeon?

Barber Surgeon

A barber surgeon, sometimes known as a barber-surgeon, was a person who practised surgery in Europe from the Middle Ages until the 19th century. In early times, barbers and surgeons were often the same person, and many barbers performed simple surgical procedures such as bloodletting and tooth extraction. In the 13th century, a distinction began to be made between the two professions, and barbers were eventually forbidden from performing surgery. However, barber surgeons were still common in the 18th and 19th centuries, and they often performed major operations such as amputations and caesarean sections.

The training of barber surgeons varied widely, but most learned their trade through apprenticeships. Some barber surgeons also attended medical school, but this was not always necessary. In the 18th century, the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh began to offer formal training for barber surgeons, and this helped to improve the quality of surgical care.

Barber surgeons played a vital role in the history of medicine, and they are credited with developing many surgical techniques that are still used today. They were also responsible for educating many of the early doctors, and they helped to establish the profession of surgery as a separate field from medicine.