Table Of ContentCover Page: III
Title Page Page: III
Dedication Page: V
Author’s Note Page: VI
Prelude Page: 1
Part I: Beginnings Page: 12
Chapter 1: Genesis Page: 14
Chapter 2: Exodus Page: 23
Chapter 3: Prolific Pens Page: 29
Chapter 4: Darkness, Then Daylight Page: 36
Part II: Foundations Page: 49
Chapter 5: The Human Road Map Page: 50
Chapter 6: To Stop the Flow Page: 64
Chapter 7: The Circle Page: 78
Chapter 8: Emergence Page: 88
Chapter 9: Transition Page: 103
Part III: Revolutions Page: 117
Chapter 10: Pain-Free Page: 118
Chapter 11: They’re Alive Page: 134
Chapter 12: Scientific Progress Page: 155
Chapter 13: The Shock of Technology Page: 169
Part IV: Baptisms Page: 183
Chapter 14: Mass Appeal Page: 184
Chapter 15: Professionalization Page: 207
Part V: Triumphs Page: 228
Chapter 16: The Blood of War Page: 230
Chapter 17: The Center of Things Page: 253
Chapter 18: Out with the Old Page: 272
Part VI: The Present and the Future Page: 293
Chapter 19: Changes Page: 294
Chapter 20: Prospects Page: 316
Photographs Page: 323
Acknowledgments Page: 324
About the Author Page: 325
Notes Page: 326
Bibliography Page: 346
References Page: 352
Index Page: 384
Photo Credits Page: 400
Copyright Page: 400
Description:From an eminent surgeon and historian comes the “by turns fascinating and ghastly” (The New York Times Book Review, Editors’ Choice) story of surgery’s development—from the Stone Age to the present day—blending meticulous medical research with vivid storytelling. There are not many life events that can be as simultaneously frightening and hopeful as a surgical operation. In America, tens-of-millions of major surgical procedures are performed annually, yet few of us consider the magnitude of these figures because we have such inherent confidence in surgeons. And, despite passionate debates about health care and the media’s endless fascination with surgery, most of us have no idea how the first surgeons came to be because the story of surgery has never been fully told. Now, Empire of the Scalpel elegantly reveals surgery’s fascinating evolution from its early roots in ancient Egypt to its refinement in Europe and rise to scientific dominance in the United States. From the 16th-century saga of Andreas Vesalius and his crusade to accurately describe human anatomy while appeasing the conservative clergy who clamored for his burning at the stake, to the hard-to-believe story of late-19th century surgeons’ apathy to Joseph Lister’s innovation of antisepsis and how this indifference led to thousands of unnecessary surgical deaths, Empire of the Scalpel is both a global history and a uniquely American tale. You’ll discover how in the 20th century the US achieved surgical leadership, heralded by Harvard’s Joseph Murray and his Nobel Prize–winning, seemingly impossible feat of transplanting a kidney, which ushered in a new era of transplants that continues to make procedures once thought insurmountable into achievable successes. Today, the list of possible operations is almost infinite—from knee and hip replacement to heart bypass and transplants to fat reduction and rhinoplasty—and “Rutkow has a raconteur’s touch” (San Francisco Chronicle) as he draws on his five-decade career to show us how we got here. Comprehensive, authoritative, and captivating, Empire of the Scalpel is “a fascinating, well-rendered story of how the once-impossible became a daily reality” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review).