The old bone saw is an intriguing medical instrument by itself. These instruments of bygone medical practices hold a story of gruesome need and brilliant ingenuity. The following narrative tells why these were crucial in bygone medical practices and what materials thereby helped them do their job so well.
Before modern anesthesia and surgical methods existed, surgeries were literally last-resort measures performed under extreme life-and-death circumstances. Amputations were common, particularly due to infections and other battlefield injuries. In these high-stakes procedures, the antique bone saw proved a surgeon’s trusted friend. It allowed for quickness of operations-a mercy for both the patient, who endured unimaginable pain, and the surgeon himself, who operated under intense pressure without today’s technological and medicinal advancements.
The design and material of bone saws during this era were critical for their performance. Early bone saws were generally made out of high-carbon steel, a material chosen because it held a keen, durable edge that would slice through the bone both rapidly and cleanly. The quality of the steel also meant that such saws could be repeatedly sharpened-a necessary feature in an age where rapid turnover of surgical tools was not always possible.
Another critical component was the handles. They were more often than not made from wood or sometimes from ivory or bone, materials chosen for their durability and the firm grip they afforded. This was important to keep the surgeon’s hand from slipping during a procedure and possibly saving the patient from further trauma or a fatal error. These handles were made not only to serve the purpose but also as a work of art, as surgeons enjoyed a very high status in any community and played an important role in saving lives.
In the reflection of the times, the very effectiveness of bone saws also highlights the limitations of early surgical practice. Each saved life was a testament to human resilience and the surgeon’s skill, but each procedure also carried a high risk of infection and subsequent complications. The development of antiseptic techniques by Joseph Lister in the late 19th century eventually reduced these risks, leading to more sophisticated tools and procedures that retained the fundamental principles established by those early, grim instruments of bone and steel.