Amputation instruments. The Liston knife (bottom) is designed for rapid cutting of soft tissues around the bone, and the leg saw for cutting through bone. These English instruments date from the early 1800s. Amputation was generally the only treatment option when infection or trauma occurred in the limbs and extremities in early nineteenth century medicine. Survival rates for amputees were very low. Anaesthesia and antiseptic surgical techniques were introduced in the second half of the 19th century. These allowed the development of more refined surgical techniques and reduced infection, and amputation survival rates greatly improved.