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MID 19TH CENTURY SURGEON’S CASED POCKET
INSTRUMENT SET - JOHN EVANS & CO. OF LONDON:
This surgeon’s pocket instrument set, manufactured by
John Evans & Company of London, England, is the type
commonly carried by the doctor on his rounds, or when
away from his office due to its convenient size. One of
the more established maker’s of surgical instruments in
England, John Evans & Co. was in business from 1676
through 1874, and this cased set could very well have
been used by a regimental surgeon during the Mexican or
Civil Wars.
As noted in “The Navy Surgeon's Chest: Surgical
Instruments of the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic
War”, written by Jonathan Charles Goddard, FRCS (Journal
of the Royal Society of Medicine, London; April, 2004,
pages 191-197), in 1812 Evans and Co. located at Old
Change, London, provided a list of the instruments which
were necessary to complete a naval surgeon’s chest to
the College of Surgeons for approval.
The maker’s label attached to the inside of the cover of
this cased instrument set reads, “JOHN EVANS & Co.;
SURGICAL INSTRUMENT MAKER; To the Army & Navy; No. 10
Old Change; London”.
This cased set measures 6” long, and 3” wide and 1”
thick when closed. When opened, the case measures 10”
long with leather loops and pockets to hold the
instruments and other surgical materials. The red
Moroccan leather case retains the fully legible and
complete maker’s label on the inner surface of the front
cover. The metal clasp on the front of the case will
engage the catch and hold the case shut. The case was
certainly carried on a daily basis by the doctor, but
shows only minimal wear and aging and still retains its
form.
The instruments contained in the set are as follows:
* A tortoise shell handled folding scalpel, marked
“EVANS, OLD CHANGE”.
* A tortoise shell handled folding scalpel with a
narrow curved blade, marked “EVANS”.
* A tortoise shell handled folding scalpel with a
straight blade, unmarked.
* A tortoise shell handled folding fine toothed saw,
with a locking mechanism, unmarked.
* A tortoise shell handled folding curved probe, marked
“EVANS, LONDON”.
* A tortoise shell handled folding probe, unmarked.
* A bone handled instrument with a silver socket
threaded on to the end.
* A 5 ˝” long large scale sewing needle
* There is a small, green enameled leather pocket under
the bottom flap which contains one curved suture
needle.
This is a very desirable, early surgeon’s pocket
instrument set made by a well known English maker that
has survived in very nice condition and is
representative of the pocket sets carried by surgeons in
the field or aboard naval vessels. (0347) $300
NOTE: A special note of thanks is due to
Dr. Michael Echols, owner of American Civil War
Medical & Surgical Antiques
for his time and assistance in
identifying and properly dating this surgeon’s set. Dr.
Echol’s web site is well worth visiting -
www.braceface.com - even if
your primary interest field is not medical antiques – if
nothing else, it will make you appreciate modern
medicine.
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