28 VIRGINIA MEDICINE
I
n the 19th century, University of Virginia medical
students learned how to use common medical
instruments like those in this case. Surgery sets
came in many sizes and held different combinations of
specialized tools. The instruments in this set could have
been used to amputate limbs, hold displaced arteries,
relieve cranial swelling, and perform other surgical
procedures. This set was owned by Henry Moss Bentley
(1806–1846), a member of the School of Medicine's
Class of 1831.
To view more items archived by the Historical
Collections & Services, Claude Moore Health Sciences
Library, visit guides.hsl.virginia.edu/historical.
Henry Moss Bentley
(1806–1846)
SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
CL ASS OF 1831
Courtesy of F.B. Kegley Library,
W.R. Chitwood Collection
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