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
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
