3. Surgery

1. Fragment of a prehistoric flint saw.
This is the origin of our present-day saws, used
for centuries before metals were discovered. Such
flints were used in prehistoric times for minor and
major interventions such as skull trepanation, a
10,000-year-old specimen. See Gallery A.
2. Large amputation saw: steel and wooden
handle, c. 1750.
3. Small amputation saw: with a guarded tip
to prevent soft tissue damage, steel blade
and bronze handle, c. 1850.
4. Flint knife: similar knives were used for
centuries for surgery, trepanation, etc. A
10,000-year-old specimen.
5. Amputation knives: Two Liston-type, long
amputation knives with steel blades and
lignum vitae handles, c. 1840, two shorter
ones with ebony and silver handles, and two
“cut throat razors” often used by the surgeons
and barber-surgeons.
6. Short disarticulation (Syme’s) knife: steel
blade ebonite handle, c. 1800. James Syme
(1799–1870) developed the through-the-ankle
joint amputation-disarticulation, offering the
patients effective use of their legs.
The Hindus were the first to use scalpels (in Latin:
small surgical knife) for incising, extracting
foreign bodies, scarifying and drawing bodily fluids.
Greek surgeons continued these practices with
similar instruments. Each double-ended scalpel was
composed of both blade and spatula. All blades were
crafted of tempered steel, as were the spatulas at
the opposite end that were used for blunt tissue
dissection. This double-ended arrangement with
modifications was used until the 20th century.
7. Extremely rare set of three bellied scalpels:
c. 1500, steel blades and bone handle. The
flattened end of the handles was used for
probing, blunt dissection and separation of
tissues. A directory-probe used with a scalpel/
bistoury as shown here was mainly for
urethrotomy and other exploration procedures
of deeper structures.
8. Two syringotomes: for opening fistulae, iron,
c. 1700.
9. A bistoury: steel with ebonite handle, c. 1750.
On its leftft: >2000-year-old Roman bronze
scalpel (Baidun, Jerusalem).
10. Two tweezers-forceps: 16th century, one with
a locking pin.

11. A Civil War combination lancet-bistoury:
c. 1850, double-edge steel blade, wooden handle
and its original leather case.

7. Extremely rare set of three bellied scalpels:
c. 1500, steel blades and bone handle. The
flattened end of the handles was used for
probing, blunt dissection and separation of
tissues. A directory-probe used with a scalpel/
bistoury as shown here was mainly for
urethrotomy and other exploration procedures
of deeper structures.
8. Two syringotomes: for opening fistulae, iron,
c. 1700.
9. A bistoury: steel with ebonite handle, c. 1750.
On its leftft: >2000-year-old Roman bronze
scalpel (Baidun, Jerusalem).
10. Two tweezers-forceps: 16th century, one with
a locking pin.
Paré ligature (courtesy of Wiley). From: Ambroise Pare,
Barber vascular surgeon; Steven G. Friedman, Journal of
Vascular Surgery, Volume 68, 2018.
140 141
Ambroise Paré (1510–1590) on the battlefield, using a ligature for
an artery to stop the bleeding of a soldier’s amputated leg. Wood
engraving by C. Maurand. Wellcome Institute, London.
11. A Civil War combination lancet-bistoury:
c. 1850, double-edge steel blade, wooden handle
and its original leather case.

12. An Ashley Cooper’s hernia bistoury: c. 1810,
steel blade and turtle shell handle.
13. “Gum lancet”: c. 1850, a folding scalpel, steel
blade with turtle shell handle.
14 Long silver directory needle: c. 1750.
15. Director and scoop: c. 1750, silver.
16. Roman scoop and separator: c. 100 BC,
bronze.
17. Aneurysm needle: c. 1800, silver.
18. Aneurysm needle: c. 1800, ebonite handle
steel blade.
19. Three very rare “Setaceum” needles

20. Four surgical setaceum and sewing needles:
c. 1750, for skin or sails, with raw flax used as
thread.
21. Two surgical double hooks and retractor:
c. 1700, used for tissue retraction and
extraction of lead bullets