A fine set of three bone saws, signed EVANS OF LONDON comprising a small saw of cut steel, blued steel blade and fittings, gilt-brass ferrule and carved ivory handle, length 9ins.; a finger saw with hinged spine, gilt-brass ferrule and carved ivory handle, length 8ins.; and a large amputation saw with carved ivory handle, engraved, and gilt-brass trim and blued steel screws, designed to be used with the index finger over the top of the handle. (3)

Details

A fine set of three bone saws, signed EVANS OF LONDON comprising a small saw of cut steel, blued steel blade and fittings, gilt-brass ferrule and carved ivory handle, length 9ins.; a finger saw with hinged spine, gilt-brass ferrule and carved ivory handle, length 8ins.; and a large amputation saw with carved ivory handle, engraved, and gilt-brass trim and blued steel screws, designed to be used with the index finger over the top of the handle. (3)

Lot Essay

Evans made a limited number of these high quality instruments in 1852, the 25th anniversary of Queen Victoria's accession. Despite the introduction of anaesthetics into England in 1846 the blade lengths of large amputation knives and saws remained the same up to and including the second Boer War, 1898-1901 (at the outbreak of this conflict the London firm of Weiss supplied to the British Army cases of surgical instruments which had been left on their shelves at the end of the Crimean War in 1856).

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