Tourniquet

This item was used to control hemorrhages caused by amputations, wounds, and other limb operations. It comprises 2 arched square plates which can be separated or brought together using a pressure screw on the bottom plate. This plate also has a suede-covered pad. To use the device correctly, the plates should be touching, the pad should be placed over the artery, and the tape fitted to the limb in question, before the screw is turned to apply pressure to the artery.

Advances in the practice of amputation were some of the most prominent in 18th-century medicine and surgery. Although tourniquets had been documented since ancient times, they were perfected during this century thanks to studies carried out by the French surgeon Jean Louis Petit. His improved tourniquet was one of the major advances in the field of anesthesia.