Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1886-07-24
Reply to a Recent Communication
Signed tx"

~ VIC DJduuHru.
Lempriere's dictionary which has
been the foundation of many subse-
quent biographical works, states that
Nostradamus was born in 1903. The
whole character of Nostradamus is
summed up in couplet written by
his contemporary, Jodelle, one of the
most eminent French writers of that
day. "NoStrG dana,tS c,tna faLS0 domatS,
nan .falIere noStra est, Ell cum falSa d.
mas, Mill niSi noStrd danauS." That is {:
eve give our own things when we
give false things, for it is our pecu-
liarity to deceive, and when we give
false things, we are only giving our
own things"
Very much ground,is covered by
your correspondent in eulogizing the
medical schools and practitioners in
the days of Nostradamus, but he casts
not a single ray Of light upon the
methods of medical practice at that
period to which 1 particularly allud-
ed, in the statement, that "medicine
at that time possessed little claim as
an art and none as a SCIENCE" / will
endeavor IS briefly as possible to sup
ply that deficiency.
Paracelsus says, "that a physician
without the knowledge of stars, can
neither understand the cause or cure
of any disease"
Nichoala Cabaeries, Jesuit physi-
clan of Ferraresays, that theloadstone
taken in parcels inwards, will restore
one to youth. To avert disease: Sal
vianus in de re medic, book 2 chapter
says, "Cauteries and hot iron are to
be used in the suture of the crown.
IT'S not amiss to bore the skull with
an instrument to let out the fuliginous
vapors.
Gordonius, vol. 2 chap. l, says,
"The head should be shaved and
bored to let out fumes, which without
doubt will do much good"
Sir Kenelen Digby's receipts in
Physic and Chirurgery, London, 1868,
gives this remedy for toothache:
"With an iron nail raise and cut the
gum from about the teeth till it bleed,
and that some of the blood stick upon
the nail; then drive it into wooden
post up the head, after this is done
you shall never have the toothache
in all your life" Jerome Fabricius
an Italian physician of vast repute in
his day, and preceptor of Harvey
thus describes what he considers an
improved and easy operation. eff il
be movable tumor, 1 cut it away
with a red hot knife, that sears as il
cuts; but if it be adherent to the chest
I cut it without bleeding or pain with
a wooden or horn knife soaked in
aquafortis, with which having GU
the skin, dig out the rest with my
fingers"
During an examination of the mon
uments at Arebury in 1885 there were
found two rows of skeletons. DR.
Toope, an eminent physician of Ok
ford, was present, and in a letter tt
Aubruy, the antiquarian, dated Dec
1885, he says: 81 quickly perceived
them to be human. Next day dug
up many bushels with which l mad
a noble medicine"
Gesner, a distinguished physician
of his day, declares that the claw
bones, hearts and gals of pixies, ar
very medicinal to oppose or expel tn
infection of the plague" Born a
Zurich 1916, and contemporary wit
our old astrologer, perhaps this is tn
same remedy used by Nostradamu
when he "stayed the pestilence."
If we read the prescriptions of ST
Theodore de Mayerne of Geneva
physician to Henry IVof France an,
afterward to James 1 and Charles
of England, we shall be astounded t
learn that this eminent physician ad
ministered drugs and other abomins
tons that would render a moder
practitioner liable to be tried for mar
slaughter.
Pulverized human bones heprescrit
edinlarge quantities. His celebrate
govt powder contained raspings of
human skull unburied. His most d.
lectable composition, however, wa
"balsam of bats" into which entere
adders, bats, sucking whelps, cart
worms, hogs grease, the marrow {
stag and the thigh bone of an OF
When the most eminent, physician
gravely wrote such prescriptions,
must be acknowledged that tn