John Woodall's amputation saw.

摘要

Since 1617 when John Woodall (1569-1643) illustrated the instruments appropriate for a sea-surgeon's chest (Figure 1) in The Surgions Mate, amputation saws have diminished markedly in size. Fortunately, an original example of Woodall's saw made in London has survived in the Musee d'Histoire de la Medicine in Paris, 67 cm in length, weighing 1.85 kg, as compared with 20th-century saws of some 28 cm in length. It is surmised that this extra size and weight accelerated the division of bone to reduce pain in the days before anaesthesia, provided the narrow blade did not fracture, a commonly reported mishap. For the latter reason, when Sheffield produced quality crucible steel in the later 18th century, British surgeons abandoned the butcher's narrow bow saw to adopt the carpenter's broad tenon saw, thus avoiding breakages. Continental surgeons did not follow suit and when quality stainless steel was discovered in the 20th century some British surgeons returned to the bow saw.