[Our surgical heritage. History of modern surgery: a brief survey. I].

A short review is given that deals with modern surgery beginning from 1880. This amazing development began with general anaesthesia, anti- and asepsis. Its further progress till to the present time resulted mainly from research in bacteriology X-ray technique, endoscopy, chemotherapy, anaesthesiology, biochemistry, immunology and last not least from better knowledge of protein-, water- and elektrolyte metabolism. Thanks to microsurgery organ transplantation and replantation of severed limbs became possible: a new dimension of surgery.