Abstract
Archaeological excavation of a later 19th-century doctor’s privy in Annapolis, Maryland, yielded portions of two adult femora and one subadult hand bone. The femora have surgical cuts at both the proximal and distal ends, suggesting postmortem anatomical experimentation. The bones offer insight into behaviors and surgical practices of 19th-century physicians. These specimens are an example of an unusual placement in an historic site.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
References
Adams, George W. 1985 Doctors in Blue: The Medical History of the Union Army in the Civil War. Morningside, Dayton.
Beavan, Michelle 1988 Bottle Glass Analysis, 193 Main St., Feature 12, Annapolis, Maryland (18AP44). Ms. on file, Department of Anthropology, University of Maryland, College Park,
Brooks, S. 1966 Civil War Medicine. C.C. Thomas, Springfield.
Burnston, Sharon A. 1982 Babies in the Well: An Underground Insight into Deviant Behavior in Eighteenth-Century Philadelphia. Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography 151(2):151.
Cotter, John L. 1958 Archeological Excavations at Jamestown. Archeological Research Series No. 4. National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, Washington, D.C.
Lev-Tov, Justin S. E. 1988 Information Privy to a Doctor: The Faunal Analysis of a Third Quarter Nineteenth-Century Privy in Annapolis, Maryland. Ms. on file, Department of Anthropology, University of Maryland, College Park.
McCartney, M. 1988 Socioeconomic Research Analysis. Hatcher-Cheatham Farmstead Site (44CF258). Ms. on file, Virginia Division of Historic Landmarks, Richmond.
McIntire, Robert H. 1980 Annapolis Maryland Families. Gateway Press, Baltimore.
McWilliams, Jane, and Edward Papenfuse 1971 Final Report: Appendix F Lot Histories and Maps. NEH Grant No. H69-0-178. Ms. on file, Maryland State Archives, Annapolis.
Miller, George L. 1980 Classification and Economic Scaling of Nineteenth-Century Ceramics. Historical Archaeology 14:1–40.
Mullins, Paul R. 1988 A Review of the Ceramics from Feature 12, 193 Main St., Annapolis, Maryland (18AP44). Ms. on file, Department of Anthropology, University of Maryland, College Park.
Reynders, J. 1875 Illustrated Catalogue and Price-List of Surgical Instruments. Cherounn and Kiende, New York.
Shackel, Paul A. 1986 Archaeological Testing at the 193 Main Street Site, 18AP44, Annapolis, Maryland. Ms. on file, Historic Annapolis, Inc., Annapolis.
Shephard, Steven J. 1985 An Archaeological Study of Socioeconomic Stratification: Status Change in Nineteenth-Century Alexandria, Virginia. Unpublished Ph.D dissertation, Department of Anthropology, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale.
Warren, E. 1989 An Epitome of Practical Surgery for Field and Hospital. Reprint of 1863 edition. Norman Publishing, San Francisco.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Mann, R.W., Owsley, D.W. & Shackel, P.A. A reconstruction of 19th-century surgical techniques: Bones in Dr. Thompson’s Privy. Hist Arch 25, 106–112 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03373507
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03373507