American Civil War Medical & Surgical Antiques

(A Private Collection - Research and Identification Project)

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

Civil War Surgeon Education & Civil War Medicine Text-books

Established 1995      .   .   .     Dr. Michael Echols

As seen in: Military Images Magazine, American's Civil War Magazine, Warman's Civil War Collectibles, Antique Week, Northeast Antiques, Civil War Army Swords, Civil War Times Illustrated, various TV programs, Antiques & Collecting publications

 

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  Civil War Surgery by Frank Hastings Hamilton, M.D.

(The following are the personal edited research notes of Michael Echols, the source of which may or may not be completely documented)

A Practical Treatise on Military Surgery by Frank Hastings Hamilton, MD, 1861

The Hamilton text book is a part of this Civil War book collection

Topics: surgery instruments in the early days of the Civil War

The following excerpts are from a rare first edition on military surgery published by Bailliere Brothers publishing of  New York in 1861.  Dr. Hamilton was a military surgeon, lectured at Bellevue Hospital in New York, and was the author of medical books.

See: Civil War Surgical Manuals for additional information on Hamilton as well as a lecture ticket for his course on surgery.

See: Civil War education of medical doctors at Bellevue Hospital 1864-65

The hardcover book is over 230 pages which goes into great detail about every eventually from the of selection of recruits to field craft and surgery.   I have copied only a few pages to illustrate the items Dr. Hamilton suggests a surgeon should carry to war. 

The intent is to illustrate the medical and surgical items one might expect to find being used by a Civil War surgeon.  If you have a surgical set which is missing certain items, you may be able to track down what that item was by looking at this list of expected items for a given set.

Photo courtesy of Trent Valley Archives, Peterborough, Ontario

Click photos to enlarge

You may wish to print each page to view the details

ham1.jpg (21059 bytes)

In the United States army each Regimental Surgeon is allowed for three months service:

1 Sponge holder for the throat Buck's 8 Cupping Glasses 8 Tin Cups for the same purpose 6 Thumb Lancets in cases 1 Spring Lancet 1 Set of Pocket Instruments 12 Whalebone Probangs 4 Scarificators 1 Set of Splints major Welch's 1 Stomach Pump and case 4 Enema Syringes of which 1 Davidson's 1 Hard Rubber 6 oz 8 Glass Penis Syringes 8 India rubber Penis Syringes 1 Set of Teeth Extracting 1 Tongue Depressor on a hinge 8 Field Tourniquets 2 Spiral Tourniquets Petit's 6 Hernia Trusses

 

AMPUTATING 1 Capital Saw 1 Metacarpal Saw 1 Capital Amputating Knife 1 Medium 1 Small 1 Large Catling 1 Small 1 Scalpel 1 Tenaculum 1 Artery Needle 1 Forceps 1 Bone 1 Spiral Tourniquet 12 Surgeon's Needles 1 Mahogany Case brass bound 1 Gutta Percha Pouch

 

TREPHINING: 2 Trephines 1 Scalpel with Raspitor I Hey Saw 1 Elevator 1 Brush 1 Mahogany Case brass bound

 

GENERAL OPERATING: 1 Metacarpal Saw 1 Trocar 1 Ball Forceps 1 Gullet 1 Artery 1 Dressing 2 Scissors straight and 1 Artery Needle with 4 12 Surgeon's Needles 1 Tourniquet 1 Small Amputating Knife 1 Catling 3 Bistouries 1 Hernia Knife 3 Scalpels 1 Cataract Knife 1 Needle 1 Tenaculum 1 Double Hook 6 Steel Bougies silvered double curve Nos 1 and 2 3 and 4 5 and 6 7 and 8 9 and 10 11 12 6 Wax Bougies Nos 2 4 6 8 10 3 Silver Catheters Nos 3 6 9 6 Gum elastic Catheters Nos 1 3 5 7 9 11 2 Mahogany Cases brass bound 1 Gutta Percha Pouch

 

EXSECTING: 1 Bone Forceps Liston's 2 Bone Forceps sharp assorted 1 Bone Forceps for sequestra 1 Chain Saw 1 Chisel 1 Gouge 1 Lenticular Knife 2 Spatulas protecting 1 Trephine small crown 1 Ecraseur 1 Mahogany Case brass bound 1 Gutta Percha Pouch

 

POCKET: 1 Large Scalpel 1 Small 1 Artery Forceps 1 Bull dog Forceps 1 Curved 1 Dressing 1 Needle 1 Sharp pointed Bistoury 1 Probe pointed 1 Long Probe pointed Bistoury 1 Straight Scissors 1 Knee 1 Flat curved Scissors 1 Gum lancet 1 Tenaculum 1 Tenotomy Knife 1 Abscess Lancet 1 Exploring Needle 1 Exploring Trocar 1 Seton Needle 1 Spatula 2 Probes 1 Director 1 Double Canula 1 Comp d Silver Catheter 6 Surgeon's Needles 1 Artery Needle 1 Morocco Case

Above is a list of medical items suggested to be carried by the field surgeon

Field surgeons: from the National Archives

Civil War related medical books currently in this collection

 See a Wade and Ford Civil War Surgeon's surgical set

Civil War maker labels as found in 61-65 sets

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Medical Collections          

Direct links to all medical & Civil War collections on this site

American Surgical Sets:        Pre-1861:  1 | 2    -    Civil War:  4 | 5 | 6 | 7     -    Post-1865:  3 

Medical Text-Books:

1 | 1a | 2 | 2a | 3 | 3a | 4 | 4a | 5 | 5a | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 9a | 10 | 11 | 12

Medical Lecture Cards:

1 | 2 | 34 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20

Surgeon CDV Images:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

Medical Staff Swords:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17

Hosp Dept Bottles & Tins:

1 | 2 | 3 |

 

Currently Seeking to Purchase for this Collection

Partial or Incomplete surgical sets or instruments by:  Snowden, Tiemann, Gemrig, Kolbe', Hernstein

 Any medical instrument or book marked:   U.S.A. / Hosp. Dep't.  or  U.S.A. / Med. Department

Medical Antiques Wanted List                             Contact Dr. Michael Echols

American Civil War Medical & Surgical Antiques

This site is an active on-going collection and research project.  Additions are actively being sought.  Information and evaluations on pre-1865 material are gladly provided to individuals, universities, authors, archivists, museums, libraries, auction houses, antique dealers, and researchers. 

Students and teachers are welcome to use the content on this educational site for projects without permission.  All others please request permission before publication.  Material produced by Dr. Echols is copyrighted and all rights are reserved.  Permission is gladly given, but please ask.

All content 'by Dr. Echols' and all original photography on this Web Site is copyrighted 1995 - 2010 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.  Please note, information on this site may not be normally referenced as this is an active research project and content may not yet be properly cited for publication. 

("Braceface" is a term kids apply to other kids who wear braces.  Dr. Echols is a retired orthodontist)

 

Last update: Friday, March 12, 2010