The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1908-11-27
EXECUTIONERS AS SURGEONS.
Reasons for the Exemption of Doc
tors From Jury Duties.

)tIllSlI -ieu1EIll cOlIlIt'
When our statute book was still in
the Draconian State from which 1t
vas redeemed by Sir Samuel Romil-
", and the penalty Of death was IN
flicted for the most trivial offences.
surgeons were exempted from serv-
ing on juries in capital cases. 1t must
not be supposed, however. that this
was because their profession was be-
lieved to make them TOO humane for
such work as was then imposed Oh
jurvmen. We are sorry to say 1t was
for the opposite reason. They were
exempted on the same ground as
butchers. whose occupation. it Was
thought. tended 10 make them 10"
bloodthirsty!! This ought not. per-
haps. to surprise us. sine" two OF
three centuries ago eSecnti"n"rs noF
infrequentlv performed surgical
operations. This seems to have been
particularly the case in Denmark: at
any rate, We have more knowledge Oh
this point in regard to that country
than any other.
In flames" some time ago DR.. K.
Caroe, Of Copenhagen, published a
number Of documents bearing on the
subpect. The most ancient Of these
bears date July "a, 1879, and is a
license issued by frederick II to An
ders Freimut, executioner Of Copen-
hagen, granting him the right to set
bones and treat old wounds: he was
expressly forbidden to meddle with
recent wounds. In 1909 it is recorded
in the municipal archives of Copen-
hagen that Gaspar, the hangman, had
received four rigsdalers for the cure
Of two sick children in the infirmary.
In 1858. Christian " summoned
the executioner Of Gluckstadt, i'll
Holstein, to examine the diseased
foot Of the Crown Prince. In let
ter addressed to Ole Worm, leading
Danish physician of the day, Henry
Roster, physician in ordinary to the
king, complains bitterly Of the slight
thus put upon him. He says that for
two whole months the hangman, "who
is as fit to treat the case as an ass is
to play the lvre,' had the case III
hand. and the doctor was not asked
for advice. and although the case went
steadily from bad to worse the execu-
toner received a fee Of 200 rigsdal-
ers and a large silver goblet-'tre-
wards" says the doctor plaintlvely>
(which the greatest among US would
rot have received had he succeeded in
curing the Prince according to the
rules Of art.''
Again, in 1861. Christian Y. gave
{: fee Of 200 rigsdalers to the Copen-
hagen han%man for curing thte leg OF
a page. In 1896. Andreas Lieb-
knecht, the Copenhagen eXecutione1.
was in such repute for his treat
ment Of disease that he wrote book
on the subject ':in the name Of the
Holy and ever Blessed Trinity" In
1872. Bergen. al executioner in Nor
way. was authorized By royal decree
to practise surgery. Even up to the
early years Of the nineteenth century
this extraordinary association Of sur
gerry with the last penalty of the law
continued. Erik Petersen. vino Was
appointed public cNecutioner at
Trondhiem in 1886. served aS surgeon
to an infantry regiment in the war
with Sweden and retired in 1914 with
the rank Of surgeon major. Freder-
ick I Of Prussia. chose his favorite
hancman. CoblenZ. to be his phvSl-
ciaIi in ordinary.
1t might be suspected that this pc
culiar combination Of functions had
its origin in Sartirical view of the
art Of healing but in the records We
have quoted We can trace nothing Of
the kind. Perhaps the exeeutionel
drove trade in human fat and other
things supposed to possess marvel
lous healing properties; he may thus
have come to be credited with skill! in
healing. though the association surely
represents the lowest degree to which
the surgeon has ever fallen in pub
lie esteem and social position.