American Civil War Medicine & Surgical Antiques

Surgical Set collections from 1860 to 1865 - Civilian and Military

Civil War:  Medicine, Surgeon Education & Medical Textbooks

 

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by Collector:   Douglas Arbittier, MD, MBA

 

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Civil War Era Surgical Manuals, Civilian Surgical and Medical Texts

Authors: Freeman J. Bumstead, Bransby B. Cooper, Henry H. Smith, William B. Carpenter. Oliver Wendell Homes

Page Five

The following medical and surgical texts were used immediately before or during the Civil War.  They are a window into a medical education as it was presented to the students and surgeons who served in the War.  There were a multitude of medical colleges in the late 1850's and 60's, as well as publishers who sold text books from American, English and French authors.


Pathology and Treatment of Venereal Diseases, (1861, first edition), by Freeman J. Bumstead, M.D.

Also the second revised War time edition (1864)

A copy of this text book is listed in the Surgeon General's Office Library Catalogues or the list of medical textbooks which were published during the Civil War by the Army Medical Department.

Additional information on: Freeman Josiah Bumstead, M.D.

The 1861 first edition is on the list of text books ordered by the Surgeon General for the Medical Dept. during the early part of the Civil War.  Both editions,: 61 & 64  editions, were in the 1861 and 1865 Catalogues of the Surgeon General's Office Library during the Civil War.  The second version contains lessons learned during the Civil War and so states the fact in the preface of the second and revised edition and is shown below.  Venereal diseases were a major issue during the War and this book was the main source of information.  Dr. Bumstead is cited in the Medical and Surgical History.

An article from this book on treatment of a venereal disease during the Civil War

 

Discussion of this text by the publisher: Blanchard & Lea in 1861

 

Owner signature in second edition

 

   

 

   

 

Preface to the second edition with comments about knowledge gained during the Civil War


Lecture on the Principles and Practice of Surgery, (1852, first edition), by Bransby B. Cooper, F.R.S.

Bransby B. Cooper FRS, Senior Surgeon to Guy's Hospital & London, 1852 8vo Pp 964

Discussion of this text by the publisher: Blanchard & Lea in 1860

    


Anatomical Atlas of the Human Body, (1859) by Henry H. Smith, M.D.

A copy of this text book is listed in the 1864 Surgeon General's Office Library Catalogues

Additional information on Henry H. Smith, M.D.

SMITH, HENRY H., M.D. AND HORNER, WlLLIAM, M.D.,  AN ANATOMICAL ATLAS illustrative of the Structure of the Human Body.  In one volume large imperial octavo extra cloth with about six hundred and fifty beautiful figures.  At the outbreak of the Civil War, Dr. Smith was appointed the surgeon general of Pennsylvania, originated the plan for the removal of the wounded from the battlefield to large hospitals in major cities, organized a corps of surgeons on steamers that were used as floating hospitals at the siege of Yorktown and tended to the wounded after various battles, i.e., Cold Harbor and Antietam.. 

Univ. of Pennsylvania surgery lecture card signed by Henry H. Smith, M.D., 1861-62

 

      


A System of Operative Surgery, (1852, first edition), by Henry H. Smith, M.D.

A copy of this text book is listed in the 1864 and 1865 Surgeon General's Office Library Catalogues

If there is any doubt in your mind about what surgeons knew and were able to perform within the body cavity, prior to 1850, this massive book will put to rest any questions you may have had about their knowledge during the Civil War.  Bottom-line: the surgeon's who were properly trained knew plenty, performed delicate and technical surgery, and not just gross amputations!  This massive 698 page book shows exactly what they knew and when they knew it! 

At the outbreak of the Civil War, Dr. Henry H. Smith was appointed the surgeon general of Pennsylvania. He originated the plan for the removal of the wounded from the battlefield to large hospitals in major cities, organized a corps of surgeons on steamers that were used as floating hospitals at the siege of Yorktown and tended to the wounded after various battles, i.e., Cold Harbor and Antietam.

Additional information on Henry H. Smith, M.D.

Philadelphia: Lippincott, Grambo & Co. 698 pp. 2 pages advertisements. 79 plates. Philadelphia. 1852 (1851)   Excellent view of pre-Civil War surgical procedures.

 


Principles of Human Physiology, With Their Chief Applications to Psychology, Pathology, Therapeutics, Hygiene and Forensic Medicine, (1862), by William B. Carpenter, M.D. F.A.S, edited by Francis Gurney Smith, M.D.

CARPENTER WILLIAM B., MD, FRS;  Examiner in Physiology and Comparative Anatomy in the University of London.  PRINCIPLES OF HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY with their chief applications to Psychology Pathology Therapeutics Hygiene and Forensic Medicine.  A new American edition from the last and revised London edition with nearly three hundred illustrations.  Edited with additions by Francis Gurney Smith MD, Professor of the Institutes of Medicine in the Pennsylvania Medical College.  In one very large and beautiful octavo volume of about nine hundred large pages handsomely printed and strongly bound in leather with raised bands $4.25.

Discussion of this text by the publisher: Blanchard & Lea in 1860

   

 

Signed by Cha. H. Brereton

Name: Charles Herbert Brereton
Death date: Sep 6, 1908
Place of death: Bethany, ON Ontario, Canada
Type of practice: Allopath
Medical school: Victoria University Medical Department, Coburg, 1868


Border Lines of Knowledge, Medical Science, An introductory lecture, (1862, first edition),  by Oliver Wendell Holmes, M.D.;  Delivered before the Medical Class of Harvard University, November 6th, 1861, Currents and Counter-currents in Medical Science

 

Dr. Holmes was the Parkman professor of anatomy and physiology at this time at Harvard.

Additional information on Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr, M.D.

 

Oliver Wendell Holmes (1809-1894) prolific American essayist, poet and long-time teacher, lecturer of anatomy at Harvard. (DAB), here stating in "Border Lines": ".science is the topography of ignorance.  Boston: Ticknor and Fields, 1862;.80 pp. 8vo., brown pebbled cloth

 

 

 

Oliver Wendell Holmes, M.D. signed, Harvard University, Anatomy & Physiology, 1846, 1867


Continue to Page 5-A

 Medical Book Collection

Index sorted by page  or  Index sorted by author

 

Pages:  1 | 1a | 2 | 2a | 3 | 3a | 4 | 4a | 5 | 5a

 

 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 9a | 10 | 11 | 12

See information on Medical education and lecture cards

during and before the Civil War

Wanted: Medical textbooks marked for the U.S.A. Medical or Hospital Dept. please contact us for a quote before you sell

 

 

 

Topical Index for General Medical Antiques

 

Civil War Medicine & Surgical Antiques Index

 

Alphabetical Index for American Civil War Surgical Antiques

 

Early General Medical         Civil War Medical

 

Arbittier Museum of Medical History Tour: 

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