The scalpel, the sword

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Harold Ellis

A notable surgeon and charismatic teacher himself, Professor Ellis has brought together in Operations that made History a fascinating collection of renowned surgical procedures, each one illustrating a different aspect of the history of surgery. The first section of the book looks at examples of surgical procedures which have made a major contribution to the history of surgery, such as the first successful gastrectomy, performed in Vienna over a hundred years ago by Theodor Billroth. Some operations, whilst in themselves minor procedures, have nevertheless had a massive impact on the history of surgery. These are grouped together in the second section. For example, in 1846, during a trivial operation to remove a superficial benign tumour, instead of suffering the routine agonies of the knife, the patient remained blissfully oblivious throughout. This was thanks to William Morton's application of the first anaesthetic to be delivered in a surgical operation. In the final part of the book, Professor Ellis focuses on the famous patient, such as Nelson and George IV. Here, the tact and ingenuity of the surgeon, and the remarkable resilience and eccentricities of the patient are insightfully recounted, highlighting both the amusing and the serious side of the surgeon's relationship to a famous patient.

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Bill Harris

"This newly updated edition of The First Ladies Fact Book is a comprehensive, fascinating, and intimate look at the life of each first lady from Martha Washington to Michelle Obama. Each profile includes a portrait, key biographical information, and several additional photographs. Among the topics covered are childhood and upbringing, early marriage years, the path to the White House, hobbies, career, style of dress, and decorating preferences. Find out which first lady: had the most children " served as a delegate to the United Nations " was accused of looting the White House " was a professional dancer " or never cooked a meal. Packed with information and surprising facts, The First Ladies Fact Book combines the breadth of a textbook with the intimacy of a biography."--Amazon.

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Mark Harvey

"As a central figure in the American wilderness preservation movement in the mid-twentieth century, Howard Zahniser (1906-1964) was the person most responsible for the landmark Wilderness Act of 1964. While the rugged outdoorsmen of the early environmental movement, such as John Muir and Bob Marshall, gave the cause a charismatic face, Zahniser strove to bring conservations' concerns into the public eye and the preservationists' plans to fruition. In many fights to save besieged wild lands, he pulled together fractious coalitions, built grassroots support networks, wooed skittish and truculent politicians, and generated streams of eloquent prose celebrating wilderness." "Zahniser worked for the Bureau of Biological Survey (a precursor to the Fish and Wildlife Service) and the Department of the Interior, wrote for Nature magazine, and eventually managed the Wilderness Society and edited its magazine, Living Wilderness. The culmination of his wilderness writing and political lobbying was the Wilderness Act of 1964. All of its drafts included his eloquent definition of wilderness, which still serves as a central tenet for the Wilderness Society: "an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain." The bill was finally signed into law shortly after his death." "Pervading his tireless work was a deeply held belief in the healing powers of nature for a humanity ground down by the mechanized hustle-bustle of modern, urban life. Zahniser grew up in a family of Methodist ministers, and although he moved away from any specific denomination, a spiritual outlook informed his thinking about wilderness. His love of nature was not so much a result of scientific curiosity as a sense of wonder at its beauty and majesty, and a wish to exist in harmony with all other living things. In this deeply researched and affectionate portrait, Mark Harvey brings to life this great leader of environmental activism."--BOOK JACKET.

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Arthur J. Jordan

Spellbinding!!!!!!! 2nd time in 2011 I have read the book. Interested in Great Plains settlement after Indian Wars and before the auto? Then this book is for you.