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| Pulling a retained primary tooth |
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Surgical care during the Renaissance has often been portrayed as ignorant and barbaric.
In his biography of Paracelsus, author Philip Ball stated "The surgeon and the Inquisitor differed only in their motivation: otherwise, their batteries of knives, saws and tongs for slicing, piercing, burning and amputating were barely distinguishable. Without any anesthetic other than strong liquor, an operation was as bad as the torments of hell."
RUBBISH!
Numerous pre-1600 Western European surgical texts clearly identify the use of pre-operative narcotic medications. These same texts clearly identify both surgical procedures and herbal medications that have been demonstrated to be clinically effective and are still in use today.
Inspired to counter common misconceptions about Renaissance era surgery, I began writing a comprehensive comparison of surgical practices in 16th century Western Europe (England, Germany, France, Italy and Spain) as reflected in the surgical texts of the period.
To facilitate my research, I have sponsored the transcription of a number of the rare primarily Renaissance era surgical texts from my personal library. These electronic transcripts are available free of charge for academic use under the heading "Historic Surgical Texts".
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Validation of Renaissance Medical / Surgical Therapies
Not satisfied with merely identifying common 16th century surgical practices, I've begun analyzing various recommended treatments for common medical / surgical problems to determine how many of these treatments have sound biochemical bases. Putting my money where my mouth is, for the last year I have used ONLY historic medical / surgical treatments (mostly pre-1600 herbal remedies) to treat my own illnesses and injuries. During the same interval, I have undergone regular "bleedings" of 1 pint every 2 months (blood donation) with no ill effects.
As there was no effective 16th century treatment for it, here's hoping I don't develop appendicitis!
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| Surgeon's Chest - Clowes - 1596 |
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| Surgeon's Chest - Modern Reproduction |
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