Notes on the Surgery of the War in Crimea

Notes on the Surgery of the War in Crimea^[1] is a medical textbook written by Scottish physician George Husband Baird MacLeod that was a culmination of his experiences during the Crimean War.^[2][3][4]

An American edition was published by the same company in 1862.^[5]

The latter contents of the book provide a series of chapters that constitute a surgical record of different gunshot wound types, categorised across the body, on soldiers that Macloed operated on.^[4] These soldiers, often young but tall and fast growing were shot at a prodigious rate.^[4] Another fact that accounted for the wounds, was the large rifle bullets used by each side. On the British side, the Enfield rifle fired bullets weighing 1 ounze and two scruples (30.94 grammes) while the Russian rifle fired bullets weighing 1 ounze and 6 drachms (51.67 grammes). The impact of such large bullets invariably led to complete destruction of the bone, termed "Comminution" (meaning particulation) that would result in an amputation.^[4]