A Collection of Chirurgical Tracts

"A Collection of Chirurgical Tracts" by William Beckett is a compilation of writings from the 1700's that shows the author's surgical methods and medical findings. The book includes different writings that go into surgical methods and medical discoveries, centering on subjects, for example, wounds, disease, and cancers. It aims to record Beckett's insights in the realm of surgery, drawing from his experiences in medicine. The book starts by introducing William Beckett and his achievements as a surgeon and member of the Royal Society and shares his intention to assemble many previously distributed surgical pieces into one collection as a means of adding to medical research. The book is organized into discussions on different injuries, cancer treatments, and the history of diseases, establishing the groundwork for a serious academic exploration of the field in his time.