Surgery is almost unimaginable presently without the scalpel. It is used to make incisions on the skin, in deeper soft tissues, vessels, and often in internal organs (1). It allows the surgeon to explore the internal environment and treat any ailments. So a good scalpel is an essential instrument in the hand of a surgeon. It enables him/her to perform correct incisions, whether the large open incisions of different shapes or the small incisions for laparoscopic port sites. A good scalpel also facilitates primary healing because it helps to make clean cut incisions with smooth edges. Different types of wounds such as cut or torn wounds can be treated by surgical debridement with a good scalpel and proper wound closure using sutures or bandage following the Friedrich’s principles. A scalpel should be used in a graceful motion after being held lightly by the tips of one’s fingers. A palmar grip can be applied whereby the surgical knife is held with the second through fourth fingers, being secured by the base of the thumb. The index finger should extend along the top rear of the blade and the thumb along the side of the handle. This grip works best for initial incisions and larger cuts. The pencil grip is for more precise cuts with smaller blades. The scalpel is held with the tips of the first and second fingers and the tip of the thumb with the handle resting on the fleshy base of the index finger and thumb. The surgeon should be careful not to allow the handle to rest too far along the index finger as this would result in an unstable grip and cramped fingers. But how this instrument, which is used at every operation, has been developed? Medical history, a vital part of the medical curriculum has not been a major focus for many teachers and students. This should not however be the case because studying the history of medicine has several advantages. Chief among these is that as we study history, we get to know what errors were made over time, and we can avoid them, keeping true to the saying that ‘he who does not learn from history is bound to repeat it’. Medical history also takes us through the journey and milestones made over time. This brings a better understanding to the techniques and principles that are currently used in medicine and helps students to better remember, instead of trying to memorize the facts. 4 History also might stir ideas for innovation, as one learns the simple ways that were used to solve complicated problems. Using modern day technology, several of the ancient instruments can be re-innovated to increase their efficiency.