Treatment of cleft lip and palate during the Revolutionary war: bicentennial reflections.

Cleft palate surgery was not performed either in Europe or in America during the time of America's Revolutionary War. Cleft lip surgery was performed by the pinning and figure-of-eight thread method of closure in keeping with current European teachings on the subjects. This surgery was frequently performed by itinerant mendicants, charlatans, and also by the more legitimate members of the surgical community living in the 13 states at the time of the Revolution. A brief review of the surgical methods employed form the major portion of the article.