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Minor Pocket Surgical
Kits, Post-mortem sets, Dental Kits
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Leather cased surgical sets are small
'pocket' minor surgery kits meant to be carried by the physician for emergency
use or while on a house call. If the handles are all metal, it is post
Civil War and most likely post-1870. The earlier handles are usually
made of horn and are of the folding variety.
Click on any photo to enlarge it
An unusual c.
1890 pocket surgical kit by A. S. Aloe & Co, of St. Louis, Mo. (see Edmonson, page
122) Note the removable handle.
| Trepanning is the art of making holes in
the cranium. It is one of the earliest known operations, amputation being the second
oldest. Shown are a Hey saw for cutting the cranium, a bone brush for removal of the
"sawdust", an early trephine with ebony handle used to bore the hole, and
a later plated trephine. All this to remove demons causing epilepsy, insanity, or
worse. Most of the amputation kits have a trephine. |
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| A Tiemann & Co. set with
interchangeable tips for bone luxation. c. 1890. New condition and
complete. |
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| A small and unique
post-mortem surgical set by Otto and Sons. 3x8x2 wood case, lock is missing cover, a
scissor is missing otherwise complete. No rust on the blades or any of the
metal. Note the detachable handle on saw and larger blade. Excellent
condition. A very nice set. |
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| Post-mortem dissection kit,
by Coxeter, English, c. 1870's, includes tripod headrest, bone saw, dissecting bone saw
and hammer, heavy bone chisel and tissue retracting chains with hooks. |
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| Tiemann marked heavy orthopedic forceps
for bone manipulation during an amputation or resection operation "Lions jaw",
c. 1890 |

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| Complete Child's tracheotomy kit of
ivory and silver, English, c. 1890's, leatherette case, blue velvet lining. Fabric
hinge of the leatherette case is broken, otherwise in nice condition and complete. By
Kromne & Sesemann |
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Historical note: Think about the diseases that
were prevalent during the 1800's which are almost unheard of in the Western world
now. What type of infection can you think of, common in childhood, that would have
indicated a field tracheotomy of a child?
| Tonsil guillotine, marked E.Pope,
crosshatched handle, c.?, mfg. ?, country ? |

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| Urethral dilator by G.
Tiemann, c. 1896, Otis type dilator and probe to determine size of constricture due to
prostate enlargement or disease. Knives shown at bottom of far photo are inserted to
cut strictures. |
 
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| Shepard & Dudley Otis mechanical
urethral dilator with expansion indicator, c.1890 |
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| Set of urethral sounds, c. 1895
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Historical note: During the early part of the
19th century, most physicians did dental work related to extractions and the removal of
abscesses. The kits with instruments for the manipulation of "filling"
materials like gold and silver, were most likely used by dentists. The leather case
would indicate a "traveling" doctor.
| Left: Unplated dental
forceps and unplated dental instruments by Chevalier, Brooklyn, c. 1860 Right: forceps by Teufel , c. 1890 |
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Unusual tooth key with a hidden
screwdriver in one threaded handle. Marked Ch. Streisouth, Date unknown. (The
screwdriver
was used to change the claw from right to left depending on which tooth was to be the
victim. )
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