Abstract
Instruments have been designed and manufactured specifically for surgery since at least 3000 BC when Sumerians (in present-day Iraq) created small copper knives as surgical scalpels. Relatively sophisticated instruments, including bone-holding forceps, were found in the ruins of Pompeii (Vesuvius eruption AD 79). The requirement for special materials in instrument manufacture was recognized by the Roman surgeon philosopher Galen, who specified that his instruments should be made exclusively from iron ore found only in a quarry in the Celtic kingdom of Noricum (present-day Austria). The production of today's specialized surgical instruments relies on a long history of manufacturing skills and sophisticated metallurgy. This chapter discusses Materials; Manufacture of surgical instruments; Instrument care; and Marking instruments.
Published Version
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