The definitive work on medicine practiced during the civil war. This massive work has been called the first comprehensive American medical book, of inestimable value for its great quantity of information and illustrations. Almost every reproductive process available at the time can be found somewhere within the six volumes. The original illustrations reproduced in chromolithography and engraving, are landmarks in American medical illustration. The watercolor paintings of wounds, injuries and histological and pathologic views were far in advance of any done to that time. The chromolithographs reproducing them were printed by Julius Bien, the foremost American lithographer of the period. The History also makes more extensive use of photograph and photomechanical reproduction than any previous medical publication, with numerous lithographs from photographs by Bell, Ward and French, heliotypes (Osgood & Co.) and Woodburytypes (American Photo-Relief Printing Co.).

This volume contains large woodburytype photographs of war inflicted injuries. John Carbutt did the Woodburytypes; James R. Osgood, Boston did the heliotypes and J. Bien, New York did the lithography. A. J. Ward and William Bell were the photographers. Three volumes of this set were illustrated with Woodburytypes for the first issue. This was the first volume issued, the others following. Reference is made in the first medical volume that the idea of using Woodburytypes came from Alexander Agassiz and his use of them. This group of volumes represents the largest use of Woodburytypes in the United States, and probably is what kept Carbutt solvent.

from Part II, Volume II: Surgical History (1876) Prepared under the direction of Joseph K. Barnes, Surgeon General, United States Army by George A. Otis, Assistant Surgeon, United States Army. Covers injuries of the abdomen, pelvis, flesh wounds of the back, and wounds and injuries of the upper extremities.