American Civil War Medicine & Surgical Antiques

Surgical Set collection from 1860 to 1865 - Civilian and Military

Civil War:  Medicine, Surgeon Education & Medical Textbooks

 Dr. Michael Echols  &  Dr. Doug Arbittier

 

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Civil War issue U. S. Army Hospital Department set by Geo. Tiemann

Tags: USA Hospital Department, U.S.A. Hosp. Dept., George Tiemann, Civil War Medicine, Civil War Amputation Set, Civil War Surgery, Amputation, 63 Chatham

This set is a hardcore Civil War field surgery issue.  It was specified by the U. S. Army Hospital Department and is a production set by Geo. Tiemann, N.Y.  The 63 Chatham St. address on the maker label is correct for a Civil War issue set.   63 Chatham St., New-York, would date the manufacture of this set between 1861 to 1864.  George Tiemann sets are wanted to buy.  (Tiemann Catalog).  

George Tiemann cutler

1826-32: 35 Chatham Street

1833-55: 63 Chatham Street (manufacturer of scissors and surgical instruments beginning in 1841)

 

George Tiemann & Co. (George Tiemann, Frederick A. Stohlmann, and Edward Pfarre) surgical instruments

1855-63/64: 63 Chatham and 44 Eldridge

1863/64-71: 67 Chatham and 44 Eldridge

    Reference: Edmonson

CDV of Dr. E. G. Cooper, Asst. Surgeon, Union, Civil War, 13th Kentucky Infantry, F & S Company.  Dr. Cooper is posed with a surgical set like the Tiemann Hospital Department set shown below. 

We believe this is a rare image of what is most likely a Tiemann Hospital Department field surgery set during the Civil War.  Enlarge the CDV to compare the bone saw and forceps in the case.

 

The layout and instruments would indicate use as a field set as opposed to hospital use.  Field sets are not as extensive as hospital sets and would have been used for initial treatment of war wounds as well as for treatment of day-to-day surgical problems.

There is an extensive male urinary set of instruments, as well as neurosurgery, minor surgery, amputation, rectal trocar,  probes and removal instruments for bullets.  All these instruments are common to field military sets, but it is rare to find full 'sets' of the urinary instruments due to their delicate design. 

The heavy bone cutting instruments retain their dark bluing on the springs as well as the 'case coloring' on the metal from having been baked in animal bone to prevent rusting during manufacture, (a technique used in gun smithing which imparts the distinctive color to the metal as seen in the photos below).

The set is marked on the brass cartouche with "U. S. A Hosp. Dep't." , however none of the instruments are so marked, unlike some other sets in this collection from Tiemann and other makers.  The rosewood case (17 x 7 1/4 x 3 3/4 in.) is brass bound, with sliding military latches and brass re-enforcement bands.  There are no screws in the lid of the case.  The interior is covered in purple  velvet.

The source of this set is interesting.  It was obtained by a dealer from a woman in Missouri, in whose family it had resided since the Civil War.  The set was stored on a shelf in an old drug store for years and years and had not been touched or 'gone through'  and stripped of usable instruments like so many other sets found at shows or in the hands of multiple owners.  A rare and unique set to be sure.

 

   

     

           Note the unusual small full-length removable tray for bullet and bone forceps

 

                

Display of all instruments in the set

 

         

    Amputation knives, note style of ferrule

 

   

Upper: set of minor surgery knives;  Lower: metacarpel saw

 

   

Tiemann's Bullet Forceps: Fig. 1356 Tiemann's catalog

 

      

Mott's tissue retractor, marked Tiemann: Fig. 1554, Tiemann's catalog

 

  

Esmarch's Bulbous Artery Forceps, Straight Operating Scissors

 

     

Eldridge's (Netalon's) Bullet Probe with porcelain tip: Fig. 1350 Tiemann

 

      

Bullet probes:  Top and bottom, Long silver bullet probes: Fig. 1354, Tiemann's catalog

 

   

The instrument above is part of a Collins bullet extractor.  The internal rod with a screw tip is missing.   See article on Collins extractor.   The lower instrument is a scoop and knife director.

 

     

Upper: Large (9 in.) bone forceps,  Lower: Ferguson's large sequestrum forceps

 

 

Mott's aneurism suture set with removable tips

 

Bone wax, brush, Galt's trephine, elevator and rasp, Hey saw, dissecting hook

 

           

Resection Chain saw, carrying needle, and attachment insert on the chain

 

   

Various 'Tiemann' markings

 

     

Tiemann bow saw with extra blade and marking

 

 

Top: Winternitz's psychrophor

Fig. 2925, Tiemann's catalog

Three Otis retention catheters:

Fig. 2899, Tiemann's catalog

 

Set of silver urinary staves

 

 

Buck's Rectal Trocar: Fig. 1730 Tiemann's catalog

 

 

Tiemann marked brass tourniquet with pressure pad

 

 

Suture needles in chamois holder

 

See an article on suturing and suture needles

Here is a catalog list of Tiemann instruments normally found in a military surgery set

 

Display 1  |  Display 2  |  Display 3  |  Display 4  |  Display 5  |  Display 6

 

Medical Antiques Index

American Civil War Medicine & Surgical Antiques Index

 

Topical Index for American Civil War Surgical Antiques 


 

Contact Dr. Arbittier with questions or if you have Civil War medical related items for sale

 

 

Civil War Medical Collections    Sitemap for entire website 

 

Direct links to all medical & Civil War collections on this site           

American Surgical Sets:

Pre-Civil War:  1 | 2  -   Post-Civil War:  3  -  Civil War 1861-1865:  4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8   INDEX

Medical Text-Books:

1 | 1a | 2 | 2a | 3 | 3a | 4 | 4a | 5 | 5a | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 9a | 10 | 11 | 12    INDEX

Surgeon General's Office Library printed catalogues: 1840 | 1864 | 1865
Medical Lecture Cards: 1a | 1b 2 | 34 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21    INDEX

Medical Faculty and Authors:

INDEX

Navy Surgeon Exams:

1863 Navy Surgeon Applicant Exams with Biographies   INDEX ONE | INDEX TWO

Surgeon CDVs, Images

Surgeon's Medical Service Swords, and Pistols

Army: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8    INDEX    

M.S. Surgeon Swords and Pistols:  1 | 2 | 3 | 4  INDEX

Navy: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8   

Hosp Dep't Bottles, Tins, 

U.S. Army Pannier:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

American Civil War Medicine & Surgical Antiques

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Last update: Thursday, February 16, 2023