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Satterlee Bone Saw History

Moviemakers have immortalized that school of horror, the Civil War amputation without anesthetic. Bone saws, or amputation saws, were part of every Civil War surgical kit. Dr. Richard S. Satterlee was Chief Medical Purveyor for the Army and entrusted with the task of standardizing army medical field kits. The Satterlee bone saw was named for him.

  1. History

    • The earliest known bone saw was a 4th century A.D. cylindrical bronze bow saw manufactured by the Romans, according to J. Kirkup in his book "The Evolution of Saws for Osseous Surgery". In the 16th century, gunshot wounds necessitated the development of elective amputation for the prevention of gangrene, and steel bone saws came into use. In 1617, the Woodalls amputation saw was a hefty 4 pounds. The availability of quality steel manufactured in a crucible led to smaller and lighter saws. Prior to 1850 most American surgeons imported their tools from England and France. The French in particular were known for the beauty of their surgical instruments.

    Dr. Richard Satterlee

    • Born in Fairfield, New York on December 6, 1799, Dr. Richard S. Satterlee was no stranger to battlefield surgery. He served as a surgeon in the Seminole war as well as the Civil War. Dr. Satterlee was Chief Medical Purveyor for the United States Army and received the appointment of brigadier general in 1864. As a surgeon, Dr. Satterlee was qualified to direct the fabrication of specialized instruments and cased instrument sets for the military.

    U.S. Manufacture

    • The previously imported French and English bone saws were not in use by the Army during the Civil War. Dr. Satterlee placed contracts with instrument makers, mainly in Philadelphia and New York, for manufacture of these surgical cases. One of these fabricators was George Tiemann & Company, which helped to refine the standard regimental field cases supplied to Army surgeons. During the course of the Civil War, Dr. Satterlee requisitioned 4,900 amputating and general operating instrument cases. These cases included the steel bladed Satterlee capital saw also known as the Satterlee bone saw, the Satterlee amputation saw and the Satterlee aseptic saw.

    The Satterlee Saw

    • Civil War surgical instrument expert Michael Echols remarks that there is no clearly documented reason why, as the Civil War progressed, the size and heaviness of the bone saw handles and blades increased dramatically under Dr. Satterlee's direction. Echols surmises that this change was due to the size of the men in the Army who specified the surgical set requirements and stated the need for heavy-use tools. Bone saws became "manly" and large, as did the amputation knives and handles. Echols also notes that during the Civil War, American surgeons were performing more field surgery than anyone else was in the world and there was a need for sturdy, long-lasting surgical tools. The Satterlee bone saw itself had a well-built angled "D" shaped handle, perfect for heavy use.

    Modern Use

    • The popularity of the Satterlee saw did not decline after the Civil War. In fact, it was referenced as late as the 1967 book "Care of the Patient in Surgery Including Techniques" by Edythe Louise. In modern operating rooms laser, ultrasound, high-speed water jet and power oscillating saws have for the most part supplanted the Satterlee saw. Medical personnel in remote or disaster stricken areas may still use the Satterlee saw in emergency surgical kits.

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