History of Surgery in the United States, 1775-1900: Textbooks, Monographs, and Treatises (Norman Bibliography Series) [Hardcover]

Ira M. Rutkow (Author)

Book Description

Series: Norman Bibliography Series | Publication Date: December 1, 1988

The first volume of the definitive two-volume set on the development of American surgery describes, analyzes and illustrates with 130 historic reproductions from the original texts the 552 original surgical treatises written by American surgeons before 1900.

Both volumes are arranged by surgical specialties so that each chapter represents a chronological history of the literature of anesthesia, colon and rectal surgery, general surgery, gynecology, neurological surgery, ophthalmology, orthopedic surgery, otorhinolaryngology, plastic surgery, thoracic surgery, and urology.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"I believe that to truly understand a country's surgical past," writes Rutkow in his introduction to this definitive study, "a researcher must first by familiar with three specific areas. These are (1) primary textbooks, monographs, and treatises relating to the surgical sciences; (2) articles written by surgeons for medical periodicals, including separately printed pamphlets; and (3) biographical information about the numerous individuals who wrote works on surgery. With this core of knowledge, it is possible to write a narrative history of American surgery. . . ."Unfortunately, none of these areas has ever been adequately researched." . . . Rutkow admits that he found "the confusion and lack of concise information about our country's surgical past" a challenge he could not resist. He needed only a gentle, enthusiastic nudge from Jeremy Norman to compile the information contained in this volume, the first comprehensive survey of the subject. . . .With this volume, Rutkow begins a unique series on the development of American surgery. -- AB Bookman's Weekly, April 17, 1989

. . . a truly superb tome . . . This unique, one-of- a-kind production should be in every surgical library and read not only by the academicians, but by all surgeons interested in the development of American surgery. -- Journal of the American Medical Association July 1991

. . . a work that will be of essential importance to historians of the field, and will serve as a fascinating archive for those with less specialized interests . . . it will be unlikely that any but the most experienced historians will carry out serious studies of American surgical history without making reference to this book. -- Journal of the History of Medicine and Allied Sciences April 1999

Rutkow's compilation is impressive . . . Anyone remotely interested in recovering, recording, or making a past for surgery will find this an invaluable source. -- Bulletin of the History of Medicine 1990

Product Details

• Hardcover: 488 pages
• Publisher: Jeremy Norman Co; 1 Ed edition (December 1, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0930405021
• ISBN-13: 978-0930405021
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 7.8 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,617,537 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Ira Rutkow is a general surgeon and medical historian. After graduating from Union College (NY), he earned his medical degree from St. Louis University. While completing training as a general surgeon, Rutkow also received a master and doctorate in public health from the Johns Hopkins University.

He is the author of seven books, most recently Seeking the Cure: A History of Medicine in America (Scribner, 2010). Rutkow's other works include James A. Garfield (2006), part of Times Books' American Presidents series edited by Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr; Bleeding Blue and Gray: Civil War Surgery and the Evolution of American Medicine (2005); American Surgery: An Illustrated History (1998); Surgery: An Illustrated History (1993), named a New York Times Notable Book of the Year; and the two volume The History of Surgery in the United States (1992 and 1988). In addition to his historical writings, he has edited numerous medical textbooks, including Socioeconomics of Surgery (1989), and authored journal articles and book chapters on various surgical techniques.

Rutkow is a recipient of the 1994 American Medical Writers Association "Medical Book Award," and the 2005 Fletcher Pratt Literary Award of the Civil War Round Table of New York, Rutkow has been inducted into The Johns Hopkins University's "Society of Scholars," and awarded Union College's Founders' Medal. He is listed in Marquis Who's Who in Medicine and Healthcare.

He and his wife divide their time between New York City and their farm in the Hudson Valley.

Customer Reviews

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5.0 out of 5 stars Great moments in American History, October 23, 2009

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Dr Liz Miller "Liz" (Fulham) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: History of Surgery in the United States, 1775-1900: Textbooks, Monographs, and Treatises (Norman Bibliography Series) (Hardcover)

It is easy to concentrate on the more obvious successes in American History - moon landings, space missions, massive technological development and easy to forget American contributions across the board. American ideals led to world changing developments not just in those areas that come quickly to mind, but also in less well known areas such as surgery, pathology and anatomy.

This is a great book to remind us that American success has a solid foundation not just a few flashes that we read about in the news.

If you are interested in the history of medicine, american history or in gaining a broader perspective of what makes the US tick, this may not be the easiest book to read but it provides useful material for a wider understanding of the subject