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HISTORY OF MEDICAL UNIFORM

 

A modern doctor looks neat, his work uniform inspires confidence and safety. Medical clothing protects him from possible threats and distinguishes him from patients. Did you know that the medical coat appeared only in the 19th century? What happened before?

Until the middle of the 19th century, there were no special specialized medical scrubs in the medical field. Only during serious operations, doctors put on an apron and gloves. The sisters of mercy, that is, the nurses, had a similar uniform, but it looked more like monastic clothes. According to some experts, the condition of the coat during work was used to judge the professionalism of the surgeon. The less the coat was stained with the patient's blood, the higher the doctor was considered a specialist.

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Joseph Lister, British surgeon and medical scientist, was the first to draw attention to the need to sterilize instruments, as well as to wear a special protective medical uniform. He came to the conclusion that carbolic acid perfectly sterilizes instruments, and also gradually began to inspire colleagues in the need to wear sterile medical clothing, rubber gloves and a mask. However, it was only in 1918, during the so-called Spanish flu epidemic, that he was taken seriously. Joseph's antiseptic theory was finally on trend. Doctors tried to protect themselves from infection, which they could catch from the patient. After that, white coats, medical caps, rubber gloves, etc. spread throughout the world.

The use of the classic white coat was probably first seen by the Germans during the Franco-Prussian War. At the beginning of the 20th century, the use of medical clothing, masks, gloves, headgear became quite common. Medical clothing has become an attribute not only of surgeons, but also of other physicians. At first, the medical coat was exclusively white. White color was considered a symbol of purity and hope. An oriental legend tells us that the white color of the medical uniform is connected with the fact that atharvans*, wise zoroastrian healers, used to walk in this form when it was necessary to perform a ritual.

In the 1970s, surgical clothing acquired a modern look: a jacket without fasteners with a V-shaped neckline and short sleeves, straight trousers. Long white coats gradually began to be replaced by multi-colored surgical suits. This is due to the search for a more practical and convenient medical uniform that will be antibacterial and can be easily washed. Now in medical clothing stores you can find suits of any style and color. However, despite this, the white coat will still continue to personify medicine and remain its permanent symbol.

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*Atharvan - legendary Vedic sage (rishi) of Hinduism who along with Angiras is supposed to have authored ("heard") the Atharvaveda.

The photos are taken from freely available sources on the world wide web.

 
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