American Civil War Surgical Antiques

Research - Identification - Consultations

Civil War Era Surgical Kits, Surgeon's Swords & Images

Civil War Surgical & Medical Books

Established 1995

 

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Pre-1865: Surgery Sets, Medical Textbooks, Medical College Lecture Cards

The Private Collections of

Dr. Michael Echols

Evaluations & Consultations

Provided at No-Charge for Pre-1865 Surgery Sets, Instruments, Medical Textbooks

 

Antique Surgical Instrument Identification

by Dr. Michael Echols

The typical instruments found in large and small amputation or surgical sets are illustrated on this page.  The names of the various instruments are those used during the 1800's.   As is typical of those instruments made prior to sterilization in the 1870's, the handles are of ivory, ebony, horn, or wood.  Metal handles are typical of the post 1880's time frame.  

The instrument list is not that long because surgeons of this time did not do invasive surgery into the body cavities that often.   The reason: post incision infection caused a high mortality rate...the patient died!

Correct identification of surgical instruments is necessary to date and determine if a given instrument is correct for a given set.  Markings on the instrument are usually the name of the maker.  Variation in the font  and spelling of the printed name can determine the date and correct time frame.

Use of Tourniquet, Liston Knife & Capital Saw

See an article on suture needles and suturing

tiemann6.jpg (19844 bytes)

Tissue retractors to hold back muscle during resection of the bone

tiemann5.jpg (22086 bytes)

Early style trephine (skull drill) and handle for opening the skull bone.  Disassembled.

tiemann9.jpg (22559 bytes)

Large amputation knives (with removable handles) for large muscle cutting

tiemann3.jpg (18479 bytes)

Trocar for bladder puncture or drainage of a body cavity

tiemann2.jpg (37018 bytes)

Scalpels above, curved bistouries below are for dissection of ligaments and tissue

Tissue or artery forceps (tweezers) for holding tissue or an artery while tying it off to stop bleeding

mvc-270s.jpg (16640 bytes)

 

 

Capital amputation bone saw for resection of large bones of the leg or arm

mvc-272s.jpg (31219 bytes)

Tourniquets to compress arteries above the cut  during amputation

mvc-093s.jpg (15920 bytes)

Scalpel for tissue incision, this particular type is usually found with a trephine

mvc-094s.jpg (13019 bytes)

Catlin (double sided) amputation knife for cutting in both directions

mvc-095s.jpg (12374 bytes)

Single sided large Liston type amputation knife

mvc-096s.jpg (13980 bytes)

Large lifting back metacarpal saw for cutting fingers and tendons

mvc-099s.jpg (17932 bytes)

Later style trephine used to open skull bone (assembled)

mvc-097s.jpg (14885 bytes)

 

Hey saw to cut into the skull bone

mvc-098s.jpg (16244 bytes)

Early Capital saw for large bones

mvc-100s.jpg (15100 bytes)

Metacarpal saw for small bones

mvc-101s.jpg (17740 bytes)

Bone cutting forceps (ronguer) for trimming bone fragments or finishing cuts

mvc-102s.jpg (14609 bytes)

Bone file for smoothing edges and lifting out parts of bone.  Usually found with a trephine

mvc-103s.jpg (14092 bytes)

Metacarpal saw to separate small bones of hand or foot

 

mvc-104s.jpg (15613 bytes)

Bone brush to remove bone sawdust from the cutting site.  Usually found with a trephine

mvc-105s.jpg (16153 bytes)

Tenaculum for hooking arteries to pull them out enough to tie them off

mvc-106s.jpg (17225 bytes)

Locking forceps to hold tissue  

mvc-107s.jpg (13682 bytes)

 

Urethral staves or sounds to open urinary canal into the bladder

mvc-108s.jpg (17961 bytes)

Chain saw for cutting bone in tight spaces

mvc-109s.jpg (19217 bytes)

Bone sequestrum  or tissue forceps

mvc-110s.jpg (19270 bytes)

Bone chisel and hammer used to trim bone

Urinary catheters used to drain the bladder when the urethra is blocked

Bullet probe with porcelain tip, used to find lead bullets by touching and marking the porcelain

Please note, there is no information on this site about instruments which have all metal handles as they are post 1880's and not part of this collection.   If it has metal handles, it's post 1880 and of no interest to this web site or collection.

An example of a set with all metal handles: post 1890 vintage

 More examples of post-1880 surgical sets

 

 

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American Civil War Surgical Antiques 

Research notes and a private collection

 Pre-1865 Civilian & Civil War Military Surgical Antiques

This site contains the personal notes and collection of private collector Michael Echols.  Dr. Echols is not a dealer and nothing on this site is for sale.   All content 'by Dr. Echols' and all photography on this Web Site is copyrighted 1995 - 2008 and may not be used on any other web site or in print without the expressed e-mail permission from Dr. Echols:  Contact   All rights reserved.  Information gladly provided to dealers, authors, magazines, archivists, museums, and researchers.  Please reference and link this website to any on-line or printed use.

   Students and teachers are welcome to use the content on this educational site for reports or projects without permission.  All others please request permission first as everything on the site written or produced by Dr. Echols is copyrighted and all rights are reserved.  Thank you!

Links to this site are welcomed

 

Site last updated: Thursday, April 17, 2008