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SURGEON’S CASED POCKET INSTRUMENT SET - SHARP &
SMITH OF CHICAGO: This surgeon’s pocket
instrument set, manufactured by Sharp & Smith of
Chicago, is the type commonly carried by the doctor on
his rounds, or when away from his office due to its
convenient size. This set can be fairly easily dated
through the address listed on the maker’s label on the
inside of the leather case.
As listed in the Directory of Makers and Dealers in
American Surgical Instruments: an Illustrated History
by Edmonson, Sharp & Smith were in business at 100
Randolph Street, Chicago, Illinois from 1876 through
1882. Further, the tortoise shell handles on the
instruments indicate this set was likely manufactured
prior to the 1880’s when American surgeons began to
demand all metal instruments with chrome plated handles
that could be fully sterilized rather than the porous
natural material that had been previously used for
instrument handles.
This cased set measures 5” long, and 2” wide and 1 ¼”
thick when closed. When opened, the case measures 6 ½”
long with leather loops and pockets to hold the
instruments and other surgical materials. The red
Moroccan leather case bears the fully legible and
complete maker’s label in embossed gold leaf. The case
was certainly carried on a daily basis by the doctor, as
evidenced by the wear as can be seen in the photographs,
but the case still retains its form.
The instruments contained in the set are as follows:
* A pair of forceps marked “Bain & Brinkhoff, NY” on
the pivot.
* A large pair of tweezers, unmarked
* A sectioned catheter with threaded ends on each
section, unmarked.
* A tortoise shell handled folding scalpel, marked
“Whitford” under a crown stamp, perhaps an English made
instrument.
* A horn handled thin bladed scalpel, marked “Sheppard
and Dudley”.
* A horn handled probe, marked “Bain & Brinkhoff, NY”.
* A full metal scalpel, unmarked.
* A small leather envelope, matching the leather from
which the outer case is made, containing suture needles
and thread.
Although this surgeon’s pocket set has seen use, it
serves as a lasting testament to the necessities of a 19th
Century surgeon, perhaps the one man in a frontier town
who stood between survival and slipping away into
eternity after a violent encounter. This set would be
an interesting addition to any number of frontier west
displays. $595
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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