Civil War Surgical Manuals and Medical
Books
Medical textbooks, Civil War medical
books, antique medical books, and rare medical books which were used during the
Civil War by surgeons both in the Union and Confederate Armies.
Authors:
Stephen Smith, Gray, Joseph Janvier Woodward
U. S. Army &
Confederate Army Medical Department Publications
U.S. Army Hospital and Medical Departments
Page One
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Medical and Hospital Dept. logos
During the Civil War, it
was essential surgical manuals be produced because most of the physicians who
enlisted or volunteered during the war had little or no surgical experience.
Medical colleges offered two year courses to grant a medical degree and the
medical
textbooks they use are represented in this collection.
The medical textbooks were produced for or used by both contract and military
surgeons during
the Civil War. In the latter pages of this collection are medical and
surgical textbooks which would have been used in medical college just prior to or during the Civil War.
The basis of
this collection is the presence of these medical textbooks in the Surgeon General's
Office Library Catalogue as published in 1840, 1861, 1864, and 1865.
The edition and year of publication is the same as listed in the printed
Catalogue in 1864 and 1865. The assembly of the collection is also
cross-referenced to the
Reynolds Historical Library collection of Civil War Medicine. These
books were chosen by the surgeons who ran the Union medical services prior
to and during the Civil War.
Authors of some of the surgery manuals: Smith, Hamilton, Blackman, and Tripler, are the surgeons who
were assigned the responsibility of selecting the instruments to be placed in
Civil War surgical sets at the inception of the War. These sets were
then made
by contractors like George Tiemann Co., Kolbe', Hernstein, Kern, and others.
It's all inter-connected.
The manuals and textbooks
on these pages are not reproductions, they are originals and would have been
used prior to or during the Civil War by the medical staff surgeons on
either side. Some of these books are not visually pretty due to their
age and use by the doctors who owned the books. They were actively
used to learn and in some cases carried to war. They are intended to
represent a 'used' condition collection. In many cases the texts
are signed by their owners. Some of these books are beyond rare and
represent a significant addition to any Civil War medical collection.
Where possible, I have included listings by the publisher prior to or
during the Civil War years as reference to their intended use with the
intent of trying to understand how much or how little was known at the time.
Of the
things you must understand is surgery prior to or
during the War was not as
invasive as we expect today. The procedures were very limited and the
understanding of disease process was limited as germ theory was not
acknowledged at
the time.
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Surgeon General's
Library 1861 |
In some cases, these
textbooks were issued to surgeons in the armies of the United States by the
U.S. Army Surgeon General, Clement Alexander Finley before the beginning of the
Civil War. The National Library of Medicine states in an
article
by
W. Miles, how many of various
medical text books were published during the War, and that information is shown
via the article on this site.
Subsequent published
Catalogues of the Surgeon General's Office Library list the books in that library
in 1861, 1864, and
1865.
See information on the Surgeon General's
Office Library by
Wyndam Miles.
Also, see an article on
early American Medical Libraries.
U. S. Army Surgical Manuals and
Medical Books
The Private Collection of Dr. Michael Echols
Click on any photo to enlarge
Hand-book of surgical operations,
(1863) by Stephen Smith, M.D.
Additional information on:
Stephen Smith, M.D.
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Title: Hand-book of surgical operations
Author: Stephen Smith, M.D.
Published: Bailliere Bros., N. Y. (1863)
Hard bound.
6 7/8 x 4 3/4 x 7/8 in., 261 pages.
Multiple drawings.
Signed: (sp.?) Dr. J. Eleophlaine,
Round Hill, Loudoun Co, Virginia
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Surgical drawings from Smith's manual of surgery
Gray's
Anatomy, Descriptive and Surgical, (1862) U. S. Army Hospital Department
Issue
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Discussion of this text by the publisher
Blanchard and Lea, 1863 |
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Gray's
Anatomy, Descriptive and Surgical (second edition, 1862)
Marked: U. S.
A. Hospital Department |
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The book is marked: 'U. S.
A. Hospital Department' on the spine. This copy is pen
marked: "Hospital 10th Ill [Illinois} Vol [Voluntary] Infantry
on the title page.
_small.jpg)
The 10th Illinois Volunteer Infantry
was the only regiment from the state of Illinois to be mustered
into service while in the field, under orders. They were sworn
into service in Cairo, Illinois on 29 April 1861 for three
months.
In July 1861, the regiment enlisted for
three years. In January 1862, they moved with Grant's forces
toward Paducah, KY. The unit intercepted the rebels in their
retreat from Island #10, which led to the surrender of almost
6,000 Confederate troops at Tiptonville, TN.
In 1864, the 10th Illinois reenlisted
as a Veteran regiment and participated in Sherman's March to the
Sea as well as the Battle of Bentonville and other battles
toward the end of the war. The 10th Regiment mustered out of
service on 4 July 1865. |
Hospital Steward's Manual, (1862) by
Joseph Janvier Woodward, M.D., Asst. Surgeon U.S.A., U. S. Army Hospital
Department Issue
The Hospital Steward's Manual,
for the instruction of hospital stewards, ward-masters, and
attendants, in their several duties.
Additional information on:
Woodward, Joseph Janvier, surgeon
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Printed label
AMA data:
Name: Benjamin Williams
Death date: Nov 27, 1910
Place of death: Prospect Harbor, ME
Birth date: 1835
Type of practice: Allopath
Practice speciality: GS General Surgery
States and years of licenses:ME
Medical school(s): Bowdoin Medical School, Brunswick-Portland:
Medical School of Maine, 1864
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Signature of Ben. Williams
Signed in the front page and
dated 1863:
"B. Williams, A. H. S. 26th Me. Vols.
Port-Hudson, June 1863 (Army Hospital Steward, 26th Maine
Volunteers), later Benj. Williams was listed an Assistant Surgeon in
the 8th Infantry, Me. until August 31, 1864."
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Steward and Assistant Surgeon
Williams: The inside cover is written
on and signed by steward Ben. Williams while at the battle of Port Hudson,
La.. (See history of
26th Regiment
Maine, Vol. ) Above is a
paper labeled with William's name printed and the page is also signed by: Ben. Williams, 2d, on
the backside of the front board with the Port Hudson information.
Benj. Williams is listed as a
H. Stew. (Hospital Steward) from Rockland, Me, in the Roster of
Surgeons on page 141 under the 26th Regiment Maine, they mustered
out in August 17, 1863.
Benj. Williams, Rockland, Me,
is later listed as an Assistant Surgeon on page 138 of the Roster of
Surgeons from August,1864. Apparently Benjamin was promoted to
an assistant surgeon between 1863 and 64. |
Medical Book Collection
Index
Pages:
1
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1a |
2
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2a |
3 |
3a |
4
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5
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6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
9a
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See information on
Medical education and lecture cards
during and before the Civil War
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Wanted: Pre-1865
medical textbooks marked 'U.S. Army Hospital or Medical Department, USA
Hosp. Dept., USA Medical Dept. |
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