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Authentic narrative of the death of Lord Nelson : with the circumstances preceding, attending, and subsequent to that event. The professional report on his Lordship's wound, and several interesting anecdotes

Pictured here is a fine-toothed bow saw and handle from William Beatty's surgical set.

Within William Beatty's surgical kit is found a Petit-type tourniquet. This style of tourniquet was designed by French surgeon Jean Louis Petit and was the first tourniquet that did not require two people to administer. Through the screw mechanism, the tourniquet could be tightened to apply the appropriate pressure and left around the patient's arm.

These bullet forceps are part of William Beatty's surgical kit held within our museum collection. They would have been used to safely extract a bullet from the wound of a patient. Admiral Lord Nelson infamously died from a shot to the shoulder that passed through his chest to the opposite shoulder.

William Beatty was a naval surgeon aboard the HMS Victory at the Battle of Trafalgar. This amputation knife is part of his surgical kit that is held within the College's museum collection. Note the slight curve of the blade of this amputation knife, a popular style during the late 1700s and early 1800s. Curved blades would be replaced by straighter blades in the mid-1800s to ensure more accurate incisions.

Wooden box with a brass handle and plaque inscribed "William Beatty, Royal Navy", containing instruments including a screw tourniquet, an amputation knife with detachable handles, two trephines and forceps. Inset into the box lid, behind a velvet-covered panel, are more instruments, including a fine-toothed bow saw, a knife, a hook and forceps.