Revolutionary to Civil War screw tourniquet

[Bob Hudson]

My brother is always finding unusual things at Pennsylvania sales. He showed me this and said "I think it's a Civil War tourniquet." I looked at the object, and replied, "No..."

 

Well it is indeed the brass frame for what is known at Petit's spiral / screw tourniquet, a 1718 invention that was used for amputations by most military surgeons froms the late 18th century on through the Civil War.

 

 

Here"s one in use from http://householdphysician.com/chapter17.php?page=75: