The evolution of surgery over the last 100 years is horrifying and astounding

When you think about it, surgery is downright bizarre — humans cut into one another all the time to get rid of deadly diseases and excess body fat.

But the fact we don't marvel about this on a daily basis shows how advanced surgery has become. Over the last 100 years or so, surgery has become a safe and reliable tool, not to mention a necessary component of public health.

Here's a taste of what that journey looked like.

As early as 1906, doctors were performing fairly complex operations on patients. Rudimentary x-rays allowed unprecedented views inside the body, though no precautions were taken to avoid harmful exposure.

Other procedures around the time were less scientifically sound, such as the practice of regulating blood pressure with full-body suits as doctors administered infusions of medicine into the neck.

That's not to say the rooms for these grisly operations weren't impressive. Take the Ellis Island Hospital's operating room, which, even in 1909, looked fairly modern.