Practical instructions in the care and treatment of the wounded made this surgical field manual so popular that it went through about a dozen editions between the date of first publication (1517) and the early seventeenth century. It was widely quoted, referred to, and plagiarized. von Gersdorff worked as a military surgeon for forty years and his two hundred recorded amputations may represent the largest number performed by any surgeon of his time. He also devised many surgical instruments, some of which are illustrated in this manual.

The numerous woodcuts used to illustrate the volume -- hand-colored in this copy -- have been attributed to Hans Wechtlin. Among them is the first printed picture of an amputation which was chosen by Dr. Trent for use on one of his bookplates.