History of Amputation Practice in Connection With Warfare. Part 1. Art of Amputations From the Ancient Times to the Second Half of Xviii Century

Limb amputations are one of the oldest surgical operations that are known to the humankind. Over the millennia of medical practice, the technique of amputations has been constantly changing and improving, either under the influence of the inventions made by outstanding surgeons or new stages of technical progress. In the first part of the article on the ground of literary sources, the main stages of the development of the mastership of amputation from the Primitive era to the second half of the XVIII century in direct connection with the evolution of warfare as well as key inventions and outstanding personalities are reviewed. The further development of the art of amputations from the second half of the XVIII century to Modern times is reviewed in the second part of the article.