[Septum deviation 1882: beginning of systematic submucous septum surgery]

The submucous resection of the nasal septum which became well-known all over the world in the beginning of our century through Killian and Freer, has been practised in a few isolated cases since 1847. However, its systematic use started around 1882 by Ingals in Chicago and by Hartmann, Krieg, and Petersen in Germany. The development of this operation is shown against the background of the anatomico-pathological knowledge and surgical conditions prevailing around 1882, and is compared with the contemporary methods for the treatment of the septal deviation.