The love story behind surgical gloves
Romance can be found even in the most unromantic places, in this case, an operating theatre. Not many connected old fashioned surgeons to being much romantic. A science man, after all, maybe cynical more than loving but sometimes, such a science man can express his infatuation in a most practical and yet surprising gesture.
But let me take you to the beginning of our story and set the scene. We are in the 1890s not long after the medical world finally accepted that their dirty hands are in fact, the cause of many deaths. That is followed by adopting and trying out many methods of stopping the possible infection at the operating table. Surgeons and their staff still used bare hands to operate but used mercuric chloride to wash their hands and didn’t wear bloody aprons nor took pride in corpsey smelling palms anymore. Famous John Hopkin’s Hospital was brand new at the time and it is there that famous Dr William Halsted, one of the first surgeons in chief of that hospital, met nurse Caroline Hampton. Caroline must have been impressive to any man who respected intellect and guts. She was an orphan, her mother died young of tuberculosis and her father died in battle. Caroline grew up raised by her aunts but she chose to follow her dream against their wishes and went off on her own to study nursing. She graduated in 1888 and already by 1989 was appointed the head nurse of the operating room by Dr Halsted. I suspect that he was already impressed by her skill, personality and her resilience. This way he could be around her every day, admiring her and having a chance at getting closer. However, all was not going to sail smoothly and she developed a severe allergic reaction to disinfectants that were used on the bare hands of surgical staff. Dr Halsted was a rather reserved and secretive man, so when he recounted that event he didn’t go into sentimental methods but I feel certain that he wanted to keep Caroline around and her dermatitis was in their way, if she was to resign from her job, he would see her much less. He mentions in his own words that she was a very efficient nurse and that pushed him into wondering how he can solve her problems and keep her in the operating room, however seeing as he later married her, I’m pretty sure that it was not just about her work ethic.
Dr Halsted was a brilliant man and a practical man too, so he thought the whole situation through and what he could not solve with medicine, he solved by paying a visit to Goodyear Rubber Company, where he requested an experimental pair of gloves that were much thinner than usual worker’s ones. The gloves worked to protect Caroline’s hands and not only hers, as soon other staff at the operating table started to use them and grew accustomed to them and the rest is history.
Caroline married Dr William Halsted in 1890 and what proceeded seems to be a pretty amazing marriage. Both of them were known as eccentric, they engaged in their passions, grew dahlias and loved their pets. They had no children and they departed this world within just over a month from each other. Definitely #couplegoals to me! They’ve made history together, they were peculiar together and they died together.
