An early 19th-century Canadian surgical practice: the casebook of John Mackieson of Charlottetown, 1795-1885

A casebook written by Dr. John Mackieson (1795-1885), of Charlottetown, contains the records of 49 surgical cases he managed between 1826 and 1857. In view of the rarity of first-hand accounts of surgical practice in Canada in the mid-19th century, Mackieson's case records are a significant source of information. These cases are discussed in order to delineate Mackieson's approach to the surgical problems he faced in his general practice. His case records also illustrate some of the general problems that beset surgeons in that era.