Publications Surgery

The Evolution of Surgical Instruments
An Illustrated History from Ancient Times to the Twentieth Century John Kirkup, MD, FRCS
With A Foreword By James M. Edmonson, PhD
$275.00

The Evolution of Surgical Instruments is the first comprehensive work on the subject published in over sixty years and arguably the most important general history of surgical instruments ever published. The only prior work on the subject, C. J. S. Thompson’s The History and Evolution of Surgical Instruments (1942) attempted to cover the entire history in only 113 pages. Elisabeth Bennion’s Antique Medical Instruments (1979) concentrated chiefly upon the aesthetic aspects of medical and surgical instruments to 1870. James Edmonson’s comprehensive history, American Surgical Instruments (1997), focused on instruments manufactured in the United States up to 1900. Learn more »

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American Surgical Instruments:
The History of Their Manufacture and a Directory of Instrument Makers to 1900 James M. Edmonson, Ph.D.,
Curator, Dittrick Museum Of Medical History
$225.00

The most comprehensive and authoritative directory to date of surgical instrument makers in the United States prior to 1900. The companion essay assesses the relative quality of the instruments and identifies the most important makers and their work. Learn more »

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Rhinoplasty and Facial Plastic Surgery with a Supplement on Mammoplasty and Other Operations In the Field of Plastic Surgery of the Body—An Atlas and Textbook. Jacques Joseph
$225.00 (list price $395.00)

First edition in English of the most famous classic of plastic and aesthetic surgery published in the 20th century. The original German edition of Joseph’s book published in 1931 is a legendary rarity. This deluxe limited edition English translation was issued in 1987 for $300 per copy. The original publisher later raised the price to $395. We have seen copies of this English edition offered on the Internet for as much as $1500. We acquired the remainder of the edition and are offering brand new copies of this superlative publication for far less than they would have to cost if they were produced today, even if the manufacturing was done in China. This work was issued as the proverbial “labor of love” with absolutely no production costs spared. It publishes the English translation of Joseph’s complete text and all his original illustrations in a format that follows the German edition page for page. Considering the comprehensive nature of Joseph’s text, and the huge number of illustrations, this is a significant achievement. Elegantly and durably bound with a red leather spine tooled in gold and a sturdy cloth slipcase, this work is a superb example of modern book production. Learn more »

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Gasless Laparoscopy with Conventional Instruments:
The Next Phase in Minimally Invasive Surgery R. Stephen Smith, M.D.
Claude H. Organ, Jr., M.D.
Out of Print

The world's first book on the surgical technique of gasless laparoscopy, a technique that avoids some of the risks associated with pneumoperitoneum and allows surgeons to use conventional instruments instead of expensive disposables. Learn more »

The History of Surgery in the United States 1775-1900 Ira M. Rutkow, M.D., Dr. P.H.

These two volumes list, with highly-detailed annotated bibliographical entries, the important contributions of pioneering American surgeons in the nineteenth century. Out of Print. Learn more »

• Volume I: Textbooks, Monographs & Treatises describes, analyzes and illustrates with 130 historic reproductions from the original texts the 552 original surgical treatises written by American surgeons before 1900. Learn more».
• Volume 2: Periodicals and Pamphlets provides a survey of the periodical and pamphlet literature in which most early American surgical discoveries were first published. Learn more».

An Illustrated Wholesale Catalogue of Surgical and Dental Instruments, Elastic Trusses, Medical Saddle Bags [etc.] (Philadelphia, 1860) bound with John Weiss & Son. Catalogue of Surgical Instruments, Apparatus, Appliances, &c. (London, 1863) Snowden & Brother
Out of Print

Reprinted in facsimile with an important new introduction by James M. Edmonson, Ph.D., Curator of the Dittrick Museum of Medical History and the leading American historian of surgical instruments and other medical supplies used in Civil War hospitals and on the battlefield. The Weiss catalogue is included because many Civil War surgeons and hospitals ordered equipment from English suppliers. Learn more »

American Armamentarium Chirurgicum George Tiemann & Co.
Out of Print

With a new introduction by James M. Edmonson, Ph.D., and F. Terry Hambrecht, M.D.

Limited to 1000 copies, this facsimile reproduces Tiemann’s largest and most comprehensive surgical-instrument catalogue. Learn more »

The Mechanics of Surgery (1899) Charles Truax
Out of Print

With a new introduction by James M. Edmonson, Ph.D.

This catalogue describes and depicts virtually the entire range of instrumentation employed in the surgical and medical practice at the turn of the century. Learn more »

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The American Civil War Surgery Series:
12 Works in 11 Volumes
The American Civil War Medical Series:
13 Works in 12 Volumes Ira M. Rutkow, MD, DrPH, Editor

These two series reprint the first editions of the manuals that Union and Confederate soldiers studied and took with them to the battlefields during the American Civil War. For each work in these series, Ira M. Rutkow, M.D., Dr.P.H., has written a new biographical essay about the author. Each volume in the series is limited to 750 copies. All volumes in the series are now Out of Print.

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The Samuel S. White Catalog of Dental Instruments and Equipment Samuel S. White
Out of Print

The best record of the entire range of 19th-century dental instruments and supplies offered by the largest manufacturer of dental instruments in the world. Learn more »

Tarnished Idol:
William Thomas Green Morton and the Introduction of Surgical Anesthesia. A Chronicle of the Ether Controversy. Richard J. Wolfe
Out of Print

The first comprehensive biography of the life of W. T. G. Morton and his role in the introduction of surgical anesthesia and the controversy that ensued. Much of the information that is included has never before been published. Learn more »

Great Ideas in the History of Surgery Leo M. Zimmerman, M.D. & Ilza Veith, Ph.D.
Out of Print

A history of surgical concepts and techniques from ancient times to the early 20th century, expressed through selections from the original writings of the greatest surgeons in history. A reissue of the very scarce 1961 publication. Learn more »

The American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Edited by David M. Reifler, M.D., F.A.C.S.
Out of Print

History of the first twenty-five years of the ASOPRS, plus a history of ophthalmic plastic surgery from 2500 B.C. to A.D. 1994. Illustrated. Learn more »

Billroth Operating Poster Out of Print

Full-color poster reproducing the painting by Anton F. Seligman (1899), showing the great German surgeon Billroth operating in the auditorium of Vienna’s Allgemeine Krankenhaus. Learn more »

Civil War Surgical Instruments Poster Out of Print

Full-color poster displaying a set of Civil War surgical instruments manufactured by Dietrich W. Kolbé of Philadelphia. 36" × 24". Learn more »