Crucial Interventions: An Illustrated Treatise on the Principles & Practice of Nineteenth-Century Surgery

Crucial Interventions: An Illustrated Treatise on the Principles & Practice of Nineteenth-Century Surgery

<p><strong>A beautifully illustrated look at the evolution of surgery, as revealed through rare technical illustrations, sketches, and oil paintings</strong></p> The nineteenth century saw major advances in the practice of surgery. In 1750, the anatomist John Hunter described it as €œa humiliating spectacle of the futility of science€; yet, over the next 150 years the feared, practical men of medicine benefited from a revolution in scientific progress and the increased availability of instructional textbooks. Anesthesia and antisepsis were introduced. Newly established medical schools improved surgeons€ understanding of the human body. For the first time, surgical techniques were refined, illustrated in color, and disseminated on the printed page.<br /><br /><em>Crucial Interventions</em> follows this evolution, drawing from magnificent examples of rare surgical textbooks from the mid-nineteenth century. Graphic and sometimes unnerving yet beautifully rendered, these fascinating illustrations, acquired from the Wellcome Collection€s extensive archives, include step-by-step surgical techniques paired with depictions of medical instruments and depictions of operations in progress.<br /><br /> Arranged for the layman (from head to toe) <em>Crucial Interventions</em> is a captivating look at the early history of one of the world€s most mysterious and macabre professions. Illustrated in color and black-and-white throughout