Between Human and Veterinary Medicine: The History of Animals and Surgery

Abstract

This chapter opens by describing some of the historical features of animal surgery and the methodological issues that arise in its investigation. It defines the terms ‘animal’ and ‘surgery’ and identifies the two key roles in which animals occur in surgery: as surgical patients and experimental material. The historical development of these roles will be reviewed, with an emphasis on modern, western contexts. Two key themes will be emphasized throughout: the co-constitution of animal surgery and human–animal relations, and the historical connections between the surgery of animal patients, experimental animals and human patients. The chapter concludes by discussing the need for further research on how animal surgery was practiced, and identifies important research questions and the historical sources and approaches that could be used to address them.