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
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Discussion of this text by the publisher: Blanchard & Lea in 1861
Owner signature in second edition
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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
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Discussion of this text by the publisher:
Blanchard & Lea in 1860
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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..
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Univ. of Pennsylvania surgery lecture card signed by Henry H. Smith,
M.D., 1861-62 |
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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.
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Discussion of this text by the publisher: Blanchard & Lea in 1860 |
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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
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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
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See information on
Medical education and lecture cards
during and before the Civil War
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