A Resource for: American-Maker Civil War Surgical Sets

American Surgical Set Collection with Photos

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Sources of Civil War Surgical Sets

See photos and prices: Warman's Civil War Collectibles Book: medical antiques

 

What you really need to know to buy a Civil War surgery sets Article on sources of Civil War military surgical sets Civil War surgery, sets, and surgeon related articles List of surgical set makers for comparison 1820 to 1880 Medical text books on Civil War surgery and medicine General medical collecting related articles Researching Civil War Surgeons & Physicians

 

For hundreds of articles on all 1800's surgical sets and instrument topics, see:

THE ARTICLE INDEX

 

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 Civil War era surgical sets made during or just prior to the Civil War era.  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.

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 1870'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.   

The Civil War collection and website, designed and created 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. 

The Private Collections of Dr. Michael Echols