In Italy, there were several surgical authors. In 1563 Fallopius, an excellent anatomist, wrote a treatise " De Ulccribus et de Tumoribus prceter Natnram," and in 1597, Caspar Tagliacotius wrote his remarkable work " De Curtorum Insitione per Chirurgiam." Marcus Aurelius Severinus wrote several surgical treatises in 1613, and in the same year, Fabricius ab Aquapendente, a profound ana tomist and physiologist, wrote a system of surgery. In 1616, Cesar Magatus wrote a treatise on wounds, Felix Platerus, in 1614, published his " Observa tiones in Hominum Affectibus Plerisque," a work of considerable merit; he is the first who treats of the malignant nature of carcinoma. In 1644 T. Bartholimus wrote a work on aneurism.
In Germany and Switzerland, surgery was in the hands of quacks until 1641, when Fabricius Ilil danus and Scultetus flourished. The former pro duced a voluminous work, entitled, " Opera ob servationum et curationum Medico-chirurgicarum," and the latter an able work, styled " Armamenta rium Chirurgicum." In Holland, the same empiricism reigned until the days of Tulpius, in 1641; J. V. Horne, in 1644, and Ruysch, in 1691. In England the College of Physicians was not founded until the reign of Henry the VIII., in the beginning of the sixteenth century, but anatomy, the foundation of both medi cine and surgery, was not taught until two centuries after this. Prior to this period, the bishop of London and the dean of St. Paul's sold licenses and diplomas to the clergy, laity, and empirics, to practise physic and surgery. Bartholomew's hospital was not erected until Henry's reign. Sur gery was held in contempt, and practised indis criminately by barbers, farriers, and sow fielders. Both in Paris and London, in the sixteenth and even the beginning of the seventeenth centuries, the barbers and surgeons' companies were incorporated. In 1676 Wiseman redeemed surgery, by publishing the result of his valuable observations during the civil wars, in his work, termed " Several Chirur gical Treatises." In France and other countries, many insulated works were published about this period; in 1640 Covillard's " Trait() Methodique des principales operations de Chirurgie." In 1681 F. Tolet's Traits de la Lithotomic." Lambert of Marseilles wrote an able work on diseases of the bones, also " Commentaires et CEuvres Chirurgicales," in 1656 and 1677.
The eighteenth century opens with an era of in telligence truly astonishing when compared with the preceding. In France there were Mery, Dionis, Duverney, J. L. Petit, F. Petit, Le Dran, Garen geot, La Faye, Lecat, La Moue, Louis, Maitre, Jean, David, Frere Cosme, Portal, Ravaton, La Peyronie, Quesnay, Faure, Morand, Sabatier, Pou teau, Moreau, Deschamps, and Desault. France has just cause to boast, for having given birth to so many able men.
J. L. Petit communicated his observations on surgery to the Memoirs of the Royal Academy of Surgery in Paris, a truly valuable journal; his com munications rank very high, especially that upon the diseases of the bones, and he has the honour of being the inventor of the screwed tourniquet, a most useful instrument; for " the ancients," says a historian, previous to amputation, only made a tight ligature round the member, from which de fect, amputation of a large member was too fre quently fatal." Petit was the first who operated for fistula lacrymalis by an incision of the lacrymal sac, and is the inventor of the eighteen tailed bandage.
Le Dran contributed a few papers to the Me moirs of the Academy of Surgery, and published several separate treatises, "Pat-allele des differentes Maniers de tirer la pierre." " Supplement an parallele." "Observations de Chirurgie." "Traits, ou reflexions tiroes de la pratique sur les player d'armes a feu." " Traits des Operations de Chirurgie." " Consultations sur la plupart des Maladies qui sort de resort de la Chirurgie." Some of these are translated into different languages; and his observations and consultations are trans lated into English, the latter of which are interest ing and at the same time amusing, and the ope rations are well drawn out; his works through out are replete with many valuable facts and cases.
Sabatier's medicine operatoirc is considered so complete on this department of surgery, that addi tions have been published by Dupuytren, Sanson and Begin. The edition published in 1822, con tains every modern improvement in French ope rative surgery, and in this light is a valuable work; he also communicated some papers to the Academy of Surgery.
Pouteau's Melanges de Chirurgie, and les CEuvres Posthumes, are consulted at the present day, as they contain many valuable facts and observations. The Melanges are translated into German.