When sterilisation was modern: labour and infrastructures of reuse in mid-20th century hospitals

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Eloïse Richard took part in our project panel - Pasts, Presents, and Futures of Plastics in Medicine - at the 2025 European Association for the History of Medicine and Health (EAHMH) conference in Berlin.

Summary of Eloïse's paper:

In the 20th century, hospitals in the West underwent significant transformations in sterilisation techniques and practices. These changes were marked by the introduction of new sterilisation technologies on the market, the restructuring of hospitals with the centralisation of sterilisation, laundry, and procurement services, and the shift from reusable to disposable medical devices. Promoted by both hospital managers and industrial manufacturers, these transformations were often presented as emblematic of the modern hospital, emphasising improved hygiene, efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and the potential for standardisation. Moreover, this shift reshaped hospital labour and practices, influencing the roles and responsibilities of nurses, surgical technicians, and sterilisation staff. Drawing on 20th-century medical and nursing journals from the United States, France, and Switzerland, this paper will focus on the transformations in sterilisation infrastructures and practices of reusable medical products, such as bandages. Looking at the material history of these products in relation to existing sterilisation techniques helps us understand the changing material culture of medicine in the 20th century.

Read the panel summary here and find out more in this blogpost.