Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1901-09-11
HORRIBLE RENfEDy.
THOSE USED By DOCTORS IN ,zaGv
SIXTEENTH CENTURY.

A fragment of curious volume iA1
fallen into the hands of local Ek9,s-
clan which graphically describes INV
methods Of surgery of several cezoucasa
ago. When it is considered that ,aruxS
thetics were unknown In those aXa@AGIs&
days, the modus Operandi of the zR1s-
geon of the sixteenth century mnS ~.
pear startlingly cruel in the 4ig4s- ~
the present day.
The work is that of Ambrose rsssy>t
who in 1919, being then the mUca D.
nous "chirurgion" of his day. puihhaa-
ed a bulky volume which became s.4E-,
an established authority and hsG r
place for SO long time that 20 yrassss
hfterward it was translated inbo E-see
lish and published in London.
In his first book he considers The g'sSs
eral phenomenon of the body in h4ssst..
and disease. and in the chapter rsisss
ing to temperaments and humorg IN
writes, IAN humor is called by Es}ss.'
clans what thing soever is liquid =Aa
flowing in the body Of living creatAa-s'
inclosed with blood" Proceeding NJ
he separates them into four paris. Isass-
tinct in color. taste, effects and 0sszRz-
ties-namely. blood. phlegm, cholers1@3
melancholy. Exact in his subdirissuEa
he says: IAN men ought to think ita&'
such humors are wont to r5sye 81 ~.
hours of the day as by certain a.
culiar motion or tide. Therefore, czss
blood flows from the ninth hour Ct ~
night to the third hour of the G.zJ,%
choler to the ninth of the day. Gassa
melancholy the blood flows frpu2 s-ns
ninth hour of the night is undt- sFa
dominion of phlegm"
Equally curious is the follow a-S 81
spirits, which he divides inte III
mall" vital" and "naturall:"
The animal spirit hath rakixl W.
seat in the brain. 1t is called aE;2s&.
because it is the life. but the chie-. s4s-2
prime instrument thereof. Wh2rsatr
it hath a most subtle and aerT Ian
stance. This animal spirit is sGnzs
and harhored in the wndings and fsse~
ings Of the veins and arteries ot ZIP
brain. brought thither sometimes A.
the pure air or sweet vapor dra@& H.
by the nose in breathing. The ez-zz
spirit is next to it in dignity anG ~as~
cellency. which hath its chief tna7ss,aVa
In the left ventrcle Of the hearG, Tx
natural spirit. if such there he szx
hath its station in the liver and vstLES.
Describing certain Juggling and as---
ceitful ways of healing of cures ta.f
such means as fear, surprise and 'tsaai
by music for spider bite. the annE:
causing the patient to dance SO lasEtSy
that he shakes all the poison cut &C LES
system" he sums up some q n.ssHs
heroic remedies thus: II would 1Et
cast the patient headlong out NJ -,
window. but would rather cast sa,zsls
sodainly. and thinking OF nc xxs3-
thing. into a great cistern filled wiz
cold water, with their heads .forzzaa<zs
Neither would take them out Sa'akS'
they had drunk good quantity ~
water. that by that sodain faA azag
strong fear the matter causing Tyr
frenzy might be carried from aaa'sSs
downward from the noble parts tn Es7
ignoble."
A medicine upon which ne dliaAex us
great length is "mummie." referys6 xs
as the usual remedy for contusaaEl
and he describes it as follows
"Mummie is liquor flowing fcena
the aromatick embalmens of dead ta1as~
les. which becomes dry and hari' "a,Ad
being ground into medicine was 'ys-s'
ministered either in whole or ps'sv7*El
to such as have fallen from asIsr
places. the first and last medicine it;
almost all our practitioners at this LIZ
in such q case"
He also gives some grewson1e fIes..s
connected with the preparati.M ~
"mummie" when he says: "Ce1:t.2s ~
our French apothccaries. men ggN
drous audacouS and covetous TO AG1s.
by night the bodies of such aS wa.M
hanged and embalnling them With ssWf
and drugs they dried them in an aaala
so as to sell them thus adultcratssf sss'
stead of true nunimie, whereupon TSl
are thus compelled, both foolishly s'Is
cruelty. to devour the mangiet isf25.
putrid particles of the carcasSes Of tim
basest people of Egypt. or of sues -
are hanged. as though there wsM IN
other way to help or recover one brLak
ed with a fall from high place.
II have not thought it fit in tAAl
place." be says. Ito omit the indns<4'
of Nicholas Picart, the Duke of GnSA
his surgeon, who, being called te s.r~s.
tain countrylnan to set his snGtissMs
being out of joint and finding uoMe iEs
the place besides the patient and sas
wife. who might assist him liz sSAs
work, he put the patient, bound Af7Se'
the aforementioned manner. to fs,ksH
then Immediately he tyed stafHe ~
ne lower end of the ligature. wssas
was fastened about the patients xrx7
above his elbow, then put it so tye4 s2k
der one of the steps Of the ladd1rSA2
low as he could and got astride tt,AssA
upon and safe thereon with his wanaE
weight and at the same instant HaN
his wife pluck the stool from un6s- Ga-