Pocket instrument set, complete, in red leather folding wallet, instruments by Matthews of London, 1846-1900

This instrument set is easily portable, designed to fit into a surgeon’s or physician’s pocket. It contains a range of instruments including bistouries, artery forceps, folding scalpels, lancets, forceps for dissection and dressing wounds, and a knife for cutting abscesses. Most of them are made from steel, copper and silver-plated metal and fold into protective tortoiseshell handles to make them easier and safer to carry.

The owner of this instrument set added some silk cord for sutures – for stitching up wounds.