Odd fellows' journal., 1900-01-11
HORRIBLE REMEDIES
THOSE USED BY DOCTORS IN THE
SIXTEENTH CENTURY.

Patients Cast Into Wells to Cure
ConvuIsiOns-A Ladder Used In Set
ting a DislOcated ShOuIder-Dead
Bodies Made Into Medicine.
A fragment of a curious volume has
fallen into the hands of a local physi-
clan which graphically describes the
methods of surgery of several centuries
ago. When it is considered that anRs-
| thetics were unknown in those ancient
days, the modus Operandi of the sur
geon Of the sixteenth century must ap-
pear startlingly cruel in the light of
the present day.
The work is that of Ambrose Parey,
who in 1879, being then the much fa-
nous "chirurgion" of his day, publish
ed bulky volume which became such
| an established authority and held its
place for so long a time that 70 years
| afterward it was translated into Eng
lish and published in London.
In his first book he considers the gen.
eraI phenomenon of the body in health
and disease. and in the chapter relat-
ing to temperaments and humors he
writes, "An humor is called by physi-
clans what thing sOever is liquid and
flowing in the body Of living creatures
inclosed with blood" Proceeding to
the manifold divisions of humors," +"
he separates them into four parts, dis
tinct in color. taste. effects and quail
ties-namely. blood, phlegm, choler and
melancholy. Exact in his Subdivisions,
he says: "All men ought to think that
such humors are wont to move at set
hours of the day as by a certain Pc
culiar motion or tide. Therefore, the
blood flows from the ninth hour of the
night to the third hour of the day;
choler 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 Oh
spirits, which he divides into "ani-
mall" vital" and natural"
"The animal spirit hath taken his
seat in the brain. 1t is called animal
because it is the life. but the chief and
prime instrument thereof. Wherefore
it hath a most subtle and aery sub
stance. This animal spirit is made
and harbored in the windings and fold
ings of the veins and arteries of the
brain. brought thither sometimes OF
the pure air or sweet vapOr drawn in
by the nose in breathing. The vital
spirit is next to it in dignity and ex-
cellency. which hath its chief mansion
in the left ventricle of the heart. The
natural spirit. if such there be any
hath its station in the liver and veins.
2 Describing certain juggling and de-
= ceitful ways of healing of cures by
such means as fear. surprise and even
by music for spider bite. the music
1 causing the patient to dance so Justify
{ that he shakes all the poison out of his
system" he sums up some of thOs|
heroic remedies thus: Il would moi
l cast the patient headlOng out Of
window, but would rather cast then
sodainly, and thinking of no sucf
thing, into a great cistern filled with
cold water, with their heads foremost
Neither would | take them out unit
they had drunk a good quantity OF
water that by that sodain fall anC
/ strong fear the matter causing the
frenzy might be carried from above
downward from the noble parts to th'
ignoble."
; A medicine upon which he dilates a
great length is "mummie," referred t
as the usual remedy for contusons
a and he describes it as follows:
| "Mummie is a liquor flowing from
the aromatick embalmens of dead bod
les, which becomes dry and hard" anC
a being ground into medicine was lad
: ministered either in whole or portion
to such as have fallen from higl
places, the first and last medicine o
almost all our practitioners at this da.
in such a case"
He also gives some grewsOme fact
| connected with the preparation o
"mummie" when he says: Certain o
our French apothecaries, men won
drous audaciOus and cOvetOus to stea
by night the bodies of such as wer
hanged and embalming them with sal
and drugs they dried them in an ovel
so as to sell them thus adulterated in
. stead of true mummie, whereupOn W
u are thus compelled. both fOolishly an
e cruelty. to devour the mangled an
g putrid particles of the carcasses of tn
basest people of Egypt, or of such a
J, are hanged. as though there were n
other way to help or recover one bruis
ed with fall from a high place.
Il have not thought it lit in thi
n place." he says, Ito omit the industr
q of Nicholas Picart. the Duke of Guise
his surgeon, who, being called to a Gel
y tain countryman to set his shoulder
S being out of joint, and finding none i
e the place besides the patient and hi
wife who might assist him in thi
work. he put the patient. bound afte
u the aforementioned manner, to ladder
e then Immediately he tyed a static q
the lower end of the Iigature. whic
was fastened about the patients ar1
e above his elbow. then put it so tyed ur
: der one of the steps of the ladder a
, low as he could and got astride there
" upon and safe thereon with his Who'll
a weight and at the same instant mad
his wife pluck the stool from under hi
feet. which, being done. the bone pre-:
, emily came into its place"
= He also gravely discusses witche
! and witchcraft. the birth of monster
with horns, hoofs and wings. ascribin
u their birth to the master of evil. an
closes with a lofty panegyric upon Hill
pocrates and GaIen. the princes of ph!
EnnI1frpr
! Better Name.
Miss Summit-He is one of the mos
generous men | ever met. Why, he too
mo ont tO luncheon Yesterday and II