In this new research article, its author presents materials and analysis of the obtained research materials, in the form of collections of philatelic materials, in all their varieties - postage stamps, artistic stamped envelopes and first day covers, postal blocks. In total, this research article presents 212 screenshot copies of philatelic, philocartical, phaleristic and numismatic materials, thematically dedicated to surgical operations, the environment of operating rooms and various surgical instruments.

Research related to the issues of studying the origin, development and formation of various areas of world medicine, as well as the contribution of scientists and practitioners of medical science, is always in demand and relevant. This directly concerns the issues of the formation and development of surgery, with all its modern types, changes in equipment and outfitting of operating rooms, a variety of surgical and medical instruments, in the reflection of such means of collecting as philately, philocarty, numismatics and phaleristics, in all their diversity [1, 2, 39-41]. The study of any issues thematically related to medicine and any of its areas is always a relevant and highly sought-after issue. This directly concerns the issues of reflection of surgery, surgeons, operating nurses, as well as the environment and arrangement of operating rooms, medical, surgical instruments, means and equipment for giving anesthesia, and a number of other professional aspects associated with this.

Aim of the study

The purpose of writing this research article is the decision of its author to present collectible philatelic and philocartic materials, in all their diversity, which are thematically devoted to surgical operations, the environment of operating rooms, surgeons, operating nurses, surgical instruments, depicted on the obverse (front side), these philatelic, philocartic, phaleristic and numismatic miniatures.

Hypothesis of the article

During the preparation for this study, its author put forward a working hypothesis, the essence of which is as follows: in world philately and philocarty, in all its varieties (postal, art and educational cards, as well as in numismatics, on commemorative medals and coins, in phaleristics, on commemorative signs and thematic badges, there is a fairly large number of materials dedicated to surgeons, the environment of operating rooms, the performance of surgical operations and a variety of surgical instruments.

Methods and means of research 

When writing this thematic research article, its author used the method of literary-critical analysis on the issue he was studying. For this purpose, he found special research articles by other authors on the Internet, as well as Internet pages and sites dedicated to medical philately, and a reflection on them of thematic philatelic, philocartical, phaleristic and numismatic materials dedicated to surgery and surgeons. All found illustrative materials were grouped by topic, transformed, using a special computer program, into their screenshot copies. All text and illustrative materials found on the Internet have corresponding links to the places of their borrowing, authorship and affiliation, in order to comply with copyright. 

As has already been said, surgery and the environment of operating rooms during operations are one of the most frequently used and sought-after themes in medical philately. Thus, Figure 1 shows a philatelic selection depicting the work of surgical teams during operations in operating rooms [1-24]. These are postage stamps from European, African, Latin American, and a number of other countries.

from the USSR period and, partially, foreign [39, 40-42, 49]. Most often, a surgical scalpel is presented on commemorative badges as a symbol of surgery, as well as surgical needles and clamps.

Figure 8. Phaleristic materials dedicated to surgical instruments

This concludes a short review of the collection materials of this author's research, devoted to the presentation of surgery, the structure of operating rooms, the surgical operations performed in them and surgical instruments, in such means of collecting as philately (postage stamps, envelopes, blocks, maximum cards and postmarks), philocarty (postal and art cards and postcards), numismatics (commemorative and table medals, coins) and phaleristics (badges and commemorative signs).

1. This article presents the results of new studies concerning the study of the prevalence and reflection of information about surgery, the conduct of surgical interventions and surgical instruments, in the reflection of various means of collecting. 

2. Reflection in various means of collecting, the history of medicine and a number of its events and episodes, is a very relevant and popular means of presenting information, both for different groups of medical workers, and for those collectors who are passionate about collecting data on medicine and its history. 

3. The author of this research, thematic article, managed to present the topic he studied, both the text and illustrative part of it, in a fairly complete volume. 

4. This research article presents such an important section of collecting as philately, in the form of screenshot copies, with their general presentation in the article, in the form of 212 of screenshot copies. 

5. The use by the author of this research article, in the form of accompanying illustrations to the text part of the article, screenshot copies of the collection materials he found, is an innovative, exceptional innovation in the design of research articles of this kind. 

6. These research materials, presented by their author in this article, may be of interest to both the medical community and numerous collectors in various fields of collection instruments, and, first of all, to those who are involved in medical topics and, in particular, surgery. 

7. The author of this article managed to fully achieve the goal of his research and confirm the research hypothesis he put forward.