William Hamilton's 'History of Medicine, Surgery and Anatomy', penned during the early 19th century, is an elegantly written discussion of the development of medicine and surgery from the dawn of humanity to the 18th century. The authors have rewritten this chronicle, replacing the British English of the period with modern American English, to suit a contemporary readership and thereby add a valuable resource to the arsenal of medical students, healthcare professionals, and other individuals who wish to study with enthusiasm and intellectual curiosity the history of medicine and surgery.