Name/Title
Bullet removers with Nelaton probeDescription
(top) Civil War era projectiles. Below them are a Nélaton probe by Tiemann, a Coexter bullet forceps and at the bottom a bullet screw.
Without radiologic assistance military surgeons had difficulty in differentiating bone from bullet. French surgeon Auguste Nelaton invented an unglazed porcelain tipped probe which, when rubbed against a lead projectile, left a characteristic mark but none when rubbed against bone. Abraham Lincoln's surgeons unsuccessfully tried using this instrument.
The below illustration is from "Armamentarium Chirurgicum" by Joannis Scultetus (1655).Condition
Overall Condition
Very GoodDate Examined
Jul 10, 2026Create Date
July 10, 2026Update Date
August 27, 2026
