Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1900-01-18
HORRIBLE REMEDIES
THOSE USED BY DOCTORS H Tie
slxTEENTH CENTURY

fallen into the hands of a local physi-
clan which graphically describes the
methods Of surgery OF several centuries
ago. When it fl considered that anses-
thetfcs were unknown In these ancient
DAYS, the modus operandi OF the sur
geon OF the sixteenth century must ap-
near startIlngiy cruel In the light OF
the present day.
The work IL that OF Ambrose Parey.
who In 1919, being then the much ia
nous "chirurgion'' OF his day, publish
ed a bulky volume which became u c
an established authority and held its
place for 30 long a time that 20 years
afterward II was translated into Eng
lish and published In London
In his first book he considers the gen
eraI phenomenon OF tine body In health
ing to Compartments and humors he
writes, "An humor Is called by physi-
clans what thing soeve Is liquid and
flowing in the body OF living creatures
incIosed with blood" Proceeding to
the manifold divisions Of humors,"
he separates them into four parts, dis
tinct ID color, taste, effects and quail
ties-nameIy. blood, phlegm, choler aud
melancholy. Exact in his subdivisions,
he SAYS. "AlI men ought to think that
such humors ara wont TO move at set
hours OF the day as by IS certain PEE
GUITAR motion or tide. Therefore, the
blood flows from the ninth hour of the
lF-EM A. NX- sEEw-y t~..W.aN NIx 4a4..-
choIer to the ninth Of the day. Then
melancholy the blood flows from the
ninth hour Of the night is under the
dominion Of phlegm."
Equally curious is the following on
spirits, which he divides into ami
mall" ''vftalr' and ''naturall:"
THE animal spirit hath taken his
seat in the brain. 1t Is called animal
because It r. the life. but the chief aud
prime Instrument thereof Wherefore
it hath a most subtle and aery sub
stance. This animal spirit Is made
and harbored Tn the w~indings and fold
ings OF the veins aud arteries of the
brain. brought rhither sometimes Of
the pure air or sweet yapor drawn I'm
BY tile nose In breathing. The vital
spirit is next to ii in dignity and e.
~ceIIency, which hath it's chief mansion
tn the left geutTicIe OF the heart. The
natural spirit. If such there be any.
hath It's station In the liver and veins"
Describing certain Juggling and de-
celtfal way Of healing Of cures by
such means as fear. surprise and eve
by music for spider bite, the music
causing the patient 10 dance 80 Justify
that he shakes all the poison out Of his
system" he sums up some Of those
heroic remedies TINS: II would not
east the patient headlong out Of a
window. but would rather cast them
sodainly, and thinking Of no such
thing. ato a great cistern filed with
cold water. with their heads foremost.
Neither would ! take them Out until
they had drunk a good quantity OF
water. that by that sodain fall and
strong fear the matter causing the
frenzy might be carried from above
downward from the noble parts to the
ignobIe."
Il +. N LiFahNEhE hDoh WhIGu Ut uit61Fs dl
great length Is "mummie." referred to
as the usual remedy for COMMISSIONS.
and be describes IL az follows:
"Mummie is a liquor lowing from
the aromatick embalmens Of dead bod
les, which becomes dry and hard and
being ground into medicine was 'ad-
mInistered either IN whole or portion
10 such as have fallen from high
places, the FIRST and last medicine OF
almost all our practitioners at his day
In such a case"
He also gives some grewsome facts
connected with the preparation OF
"mummie" when he says: Certain Of
u French apothecaries. men won.
drous audacious and covetous 20 steal
by night the bodies OF such az were
hanged and embalming them with salt
and drugs they dried ther1 In an oven
so IA 10 sell them thus sduiterated in
stead of true mummie, whprenpon we
are tbss compelled. both fooiishiy and
crueiig 10 ,lpvonr the mangied and
putrtd particles Of the carcasses OF the
bas"st probe Of Egypt. or Of such as
are hanged, az though there were no
other way 20 he!p cr recover one bruls.
ed with a fall from a high place.
u have not thought It az IN this
plare ha says re omit the Industry
Of Nicholas Picart. the DIXIE of Curse,
lis surgeon. gho, being called 20 a cer-
tain countrrman 70 SCI his shoulder
icing ont of inint and aEaIng none In
the place be Ides the patent and his
wife, who might assist him In this
WORK. be put the patient. bound after
the aforementioned names 20 n ladder.
then Immediately he tyed a state az
the lower end OF the ~ligature. which
was fastened about the patients arm
above his elbow. then put it so tyed IN
der 2 Of the steps OF the ladder as
low a. 10 eould ard got astride there
upon and satr thereon with his whole
weight and ~ the same instan, made
his wife pluck the stool from under his
feef, %h'ch, being done. the bone pres
emily came into IT'S place"
lie also gravely discusses witches
q witcbcraft. the birth Of monsters
with horns. boots Inc wings. ascribing
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