Description
"Operating Room Technique for Nurses" is an unpublished manuscript by Louis H. Nason, M.D.,
who was a Harvard professor and surgeon at Beth Israel Hospital where he was also in charge
of teaching nurses. Totaling a 145 typescript pages with nine chapters: 'The Operating
Suite', 'Sterilization', 'The Sterile Scrub Nurse', 'The Circulating Nurse', 'The Care of
the Patient in the Operating Room', 'Anesthesia', 'Operative Procedures, Instruments, Suture
Materials and Supplies', and 'The Operating Suite Work Room.' Accompanying the manuscript
are original technical surgical drawings and photographs. Presumably for use in the book.
There are nineteen (19) original technical surgical drawings by M. Codding. The artist most
likely is Mildred Codding (1902-1991), a medical artist living in Boston, who is perhaps
most well known for being Dr. Harvey Cushing's (a neurosurgeon and first person to describe
Cushing's disease) medical illustrator. She also provided medical illustrations for several
medical textbooks, such as 'Atlas of Surgical Operations' and 'Atlas of Pelvic Operations.'
The illustrations are line drawings done in black ink done on board. Pencil can be seen
under the ink in places, most of the drawings are signed. Measures 13" x 8-1/4" (largest),
8" x 4-3/4" (smallest). There are seventeen (17) photographs depicting a nurse prepping a
surgical room. Seven (7) of the photographs also have their corresponding film negatives. As
Codding also performed operative photography, it is possible she also took these
photographs. -- Antiquarian bookseller's description, 2019.