American Civil War Surgical AntiquesResearch and IdentificationCivil War Era Surgical Sets, Surgeon's Swords & ImagesCivil War Surgeon Education & Medical Textbooks
Established 1995 . Dr. Michael Echols
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A Resource For: Pre-1870 Medical Instrument Identification
Surgery Sets, Medical Instrument Identification, Articles on Collecting, Catalogs, Civil War Surgery
There are dozens of articles on this site related to surgical instruments
Use the SEARCH and ARTICLE INDEXES and the sample links listed below
The heyday of American-made surgical instruments was from the 1830's to the 1870's and centered in the New York and Philadelphia areas. Prior to the 1830's and after 1900, most surgical instruments were made in England or Europe and imported to this country. This site centers on American-made surgical sets made prior to 1870.
There is information for identification of pre-1870, (pre-sterilization) American surgical sets and there is no charge for consultations, which are offered as a way to learn from antiques we do not have in this collection.
Collectors and historians will find methods for dating and identifying various instruments found in pre-1870 surgical sets. There are articles and exhibits to show variations in style and details of surgical instruments and surgical sets in the 1800's, especially those instruments used during the Civil War.
Instrument identification via Civil War era maker catalogs:
Dissecting and Post-Mortem instruments
Instruments for the Urethra and Bladder
Identification of a Civil War military set surgical instruments
Surgical instrument sets were relatively simple during the early part of the 1800's because the 'surgeons' procedures were basic and only involved 'heroic' attempts to save a life. Surgery as we consider it today did not exist until the 1850's in centers of higher learning in cities like New York and Philadelphia. Instruments were more simple and less numerous in the sets. As we approach the Civil War era, surgical procedures become more sophisticated and the medical textbooks reflect this progress.
1870 is when sterilization began and cased sets changed drastically afterwards to allow for sterilization of the various parts of the instruments. After 1890, the handles of the instruments were no longer made of ivory, wood, or other porous materials that could not stand up to chemical and heat treatments, thus the trend to use all metal instruments after that point in America.
This collection and website, by Dr. Michael Echols, centers on the Civil War era prior to sterilization and is organized to help Civil War medical collectors, both new and experienced. Advice and information is offered in a non-threatening and friendly manner in hopes of furthering the distribution of our knowledge. We have nothing for sale and do not charge for evaluation information.
Surgical set identification and evaluation related articles...a sampling
A field guide to identification of American surgical sets 1800 to 1870
Altered surgical instruments and how value is effected
Amputation knife blades analysis for dating purposes
Antique surgical instrument books and where to find them
Antique surgical instrument identification
Bone forceps 1829 to 1886 and during the Civil War
Civil War surgical instruments and their use from a military manual
Civil War era maker marks by Tiemann
Civil War Surgery: field surgeon's list of instruments and medical equipment
Dating surgical saws by association with other instruments
Evaluation of pocket surgical kits
Evaluation and identification of an unknown a surgical set
Fake Civil War surgical set on ebay
Forceps design and identification
Gemrig Instrument Catalog c. 1872 (12 pages)
Hernstein Civil War sets: military vs civilian versions
How to identify Civil War surgery sets
Instruments drawings and descriptions for various topics
Instruments normally found in a Civil War field set 1861-65
Military latches and markings for identification of Civil War surgical sets
Post 1880, non-Civil War surgical set identification
Post-Mortem set information, how many, etc.
Surgical set case latch comparisons
Surgical instrument makers in America with dates and location
Tiemann list of military surgical set instruments in a case
Tourniquets: variations and dating methods by shape and buckles
Trepanning instruments in cases and how they are used
Uses of various surgical instruments from a Civil War manual
Valuations of various types of surgical sets
See the full Index for all instrument and surgical articles in:
ARTICLE INDEXES
for your American surgical set
The Private Collections of
Dr. Michael Echols
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