PAIR AMERICAN PAPER SILHOUETTE CUTOUTS,19th century. One marked on verso in ink, Dr. Philip Syng Physick, Father of American Surgery. Comprised of two male figures; one, black paper backed against white paper background, the other, hollow cut against black fabric background. Both framed in period gilt molding with reverse painting on glass.
- Largest: 7 7/8" high x 6 3/4" wide. Estimate $600-800
NOTE: One of the foremost surgeons of the time, Dr. Philip Syng Physick (1768 – 1837) was among the few doctors who remained in the city to care for the sick during Philadelphia's decimating yellow fever epidemic of 1793. His many patients included John Adams's daughter, Dolley Madison, Chief Justice John Marshall, President Andrew Jackson and Benjamin Rush.
Physick pioneered the use of the stomach pump, excelled in cataract surgery, and was responsible for the design of a number of surgical instruments, such as the needle forceps, the guillotine/snare for performing tonsillectomies, and improved splints and traction devices for treatment of dislocations; he also innovated many operative techniques. Physick was one of the most sought-after medical lecturers of the 19th century. His lectures prepared a generation of surgeons for service throughout America. It is because of his status as a teacher that he was dubbed the "Father of American Surgery".
