Title
Surgery: A Manual for Students and Practitioners (1904)
Author
M. D’Arcy Magee, A.M., M.D. and Wallace Johnson, Ph.D., M.D.
Edited by V. C. Pedersen, A.M., M.D.
Appendix by Edward O. Parker, A.M., M.D.
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Description
A compact surgical manual written for early 20th-century medical students and practitioners. Part of the Medical Epitome Series, this volume condenses essential surgical knowledge into 367 pages. Covers trauma, fractures, hernias, antisepsis, tumors, and more, with 129 detailed engravings. Includes an appendix on the use of X-rays in surgery—still a relatively new diagnostic tool in 1904.
The series was published by Lea Brothers & Co., known for producing student-friendly medical texts. This copy was owned in 1919 by Dr. J. F. Laval of St. Francis Hospital, La Crosse, Wisconsin.
Condition
Sturdy and intact binding. Red cloth cover with silver gilt title worn but legible. Slight edge and corner wear. Minor staining to lower front cover. Owner inscription dated 1919.
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Historical context
The Medical Epitome Series was designed to provide compact, affordable summaries of major medical fields for students in the early 1900s. This volume reflects the shift toward antiseptic technique and the growing integration of radiographic imaging in surgical evaluation.
Curious Facts, Ephemera, and Trivia
he book includes a full-page diagram on Fracture of the Patella with methods of bandaging.
The appendix on X-rays is among the earliest practical references to radiology in surgical training texts.
Excerpt
“Suppurative cellulitis is an acute, rapidly spreading, purulent inflammation of the cellular tissues… Treatment consists in early and free incision…” (p. 79)
Why it is in the Cabinet
This text exemplifies early 20th-century surgical education and features an unusual mix of clinical illustrations and early X-ray discussion. The personal provenance (1919 inscription from a Wisconsin hospital physician) adds historical depth.
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