The Compleat Surgeon

The training of a surgeon begins here with three requirements: theoretical knowledge, practical experience and a gentle hand. M. Le Clerc's compact manual explains surgery through short questions and answers before moving into fuller discussions of anatomy, injuries and operations. Published in English in 1696 from a French original, it sets out the equipment a practitioner should carry and the larger instruments kept for more demanding procedures.

The subjects extend from bones and muscles to fractures, dislocations, wounds and scurvy, with attention to dressings and bandages. A dispensatory describes the medicinal preparations associated with this practice. The preface argues for a portable, clear guide that brings together earlier learning and recent developments. Readers interested in medical history can see how a surgical education was organized and how knowledge of the body, repeated practice and care for patients were presented as connected duties.