Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1900-01-11
HORRIBLE REMEDIES
THOSE USED BY DOCTORS IN THE
SIXTEENTH CENTURY.


Patients Cast Into Wells to Cure
ConvHlsions--A Ladder Used In Set
ting n DislocateG Shouldcr-Dend
Bodies Made Into Medicine.
A fragment of curious volume has
fallen into the hands Of local physi-
clan which graphically describes the
methods Of surgery of several centuries
ago. When it is considered that anas-
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 ia
nous "chirurgion" of his day, publish
ed a bulky volume which became such
an established authority and held it's
place for so long time that 70 years
afterward it was translated into Eng
fish and published in London.
In his first book he considers the gen
eral phenomenon of the body in health
and disease, and in the chapter relat-
ing to temperaments and humors he
writes, IAN 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
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 on
spirits, which he divides into "ani-
MALL" "vitall' and "naturall:"
"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 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 it's chief mansion
in the left ventricle 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-
ceitful ways of healing Of cures by
such means as fear. surprise and even
by music for spider bite, the music
causing the patient to dance so Justify
that he shakes all the poison out Of his
! system" he sums up some of those
heroic remedies thus: Il would not
cast the patient headlong out OF a
window. but would rather cast them
sodainly, and thinking Of no such
thing. into q great cistern filled with
cold water. with their heads foremost
Neither would l take them out until
they had drunk Il 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
ignoble."
A medicine upon which he dilates at
great length is 'mummie." referred to
as the usual remedy for Commissions.
and he describes it as follows:
"Mummie is a liquor flowing from
the aromaticl embalmens Of dead bod
les, which becomes dry and hard" and
ministered either in whole or portion
to such as have fallen from high
places, the first and last medicine of
almost all our practitioners at this day
in such case"
He also gives some grewsome facts
connected with the preparation of
''mummie" when he says: Certain of
our French apothecaries. men won
drous audacious and covetous to steal
by night the bodies of such as were
hanged and embalming them with salt
and drugs they dried them in an oven
so as to sell them thus adulterated in
stead of true mummie, whereupon we
are thus compelled, both foolishly and
cruelty, to devour the mangled and
putrid particles of the carcasses of the
basest people Of Egypt, or Of such as
are hanged. as though there were no
other way to help or recover one bruis-
ed with a fall from high place.
81 have not thought it tit in this
place." he says, ito omit the industry
of Nicholas Picart, the Duke of Guise,
his surgeon, who, being called to GER
tain countryman to set his shoulder,
being out of joint, and finding none in
the place besides the patient and his
wife, who might assist him in this
work, he put the patient, bound after
the aforementioned manner, to ladder,
then Immediately he tyed static at
the lower end of the ligature. which
was fastened about the patients arm
above his elbow, then put it so tyed I'M
der one of the steps of the ladder as
low as he could and got astride there
tS, Ii, H. Il,