Friedrich von Esmarch - Handbuch für Kriegschirurgische Technik - 1877

This is an interesting and attractive book on military surgery. It is contemporary cloth as issued.

The handbook provides step-by-step guidance on managing traumatic injuries, with extensive focus on amputations, limb preservation, fracture treatment, and hemorrhage control.

Esmarch emphasizes rapid decision-making in emergencies, detailed methods for performing amputations at various levels, and techniques for suturing, bandaging, and stabilizing wounds. The text also covers field hygiene, patient transport, and the preparation and use of surgical instruments—offering a comprehensive view of 19th-century war surgery and trauma care.

The volume is enhanced by coloured plates and precise woodcut illustrations showing amputations, surgical incisions, bandaging, and the design of instruments and splints. The plates vividly depict operative positions, limb alignment, and stepwise procedures for both upper and lower extremities, making them invaluable for understanding Esmarch’s surgical methods. In all, there are 536 in text images and 30 fine chromilithographs.