Charles Pravaz and Alexander Wood independently invent…
1853 CE
Pravaz is a French orthopedic surgeon: his syringe, measuring three centimeters one point eighteen inches) long and five millimeters (one fifth of an inch) in diameter, is entirely in silver, made by Établissements Charrière, and operated by a screw (rather than the plunger familiar today) to control the amount of substance injected.
Pravaz will do little development of the invention, and it will be another French surgeon, L. J. Béhier, who will make Pravaz's invention known across Europe.
It will thus initiate the science of sclerotherapy and the treatment of varicose veins and other varices.
Wood, a Scottish physician, invents the first hypodermic needle that uses a true syringe and hollow needle.
Wood refers to his invention as "subcutaneous" rather than "hypodermic".
The term "hypodermic" will actually be invented by Charles Hunter, whose developments of Wood's invention and research into the method of administering pain relief will anger Wood.
Wood believes that injections should be directly into the area where pain is felt, because the effect can only be local, whereas Hunter argues that the injection can be given anywhere and has a general effect.
The medical community supports Hunter's hypothesis, though it is Wood who will be better remembered subsequently.
