Surgery owes much of its progress to advances made on the front lines of war. Up until the mid-nineteenth century, pain relief was underdeveloped; surgical procedures were undesirable and rarely considered as a form of treatment. However in times of war, wounded soldiers have had very few options and little time to think before requiring amputations or invasive surgery. It is here, where advanced techniques such as the suture is born as an alternative to cauterizations in stopping bleeding.