Topic: Surgery in the olden days

[Robin-Graves]

After watching the vid, I realize I have to bone up on my torture techniques

[tarascon]

I miss the leeches... sigh.

I miss the plague masks. Can you imagine having a violent fever and having one of these showing up at your sickroom? 

[Beatrix]

Scary, at that.  I never understood why the beak?  I mean, really. 

[tarascon]

Lets the air circulate before breathing "the death" in. 

[dweez]

Mmmmm, death.

[goldshirt*9]

For toothache:

Take a candle and burn it close to the tooth. The worms that are gnawing the tooth will fall out into a cup of water held by the mouth.

Spoiler (hover to show)

Operations were carried out by ‘surgeons’. In fact, these men were unskilled and had other jobs such as butchers and barbers. The traditional red and white pole outside of a barber’s shop today is a throwback to the days in Medieval England when barbers did operations. The red stood for blood and the white for the bandages used at the end of an operation   

[xtopave]

I never understood why the beak?  I mean, really.

The mask had two small nose holes and was a type of respirator which contained aromatic items. The beak could hold dried flowers (including roses and carnations), herbs (including mint), spices, camphor or a vinegar sponge. The purpose of the mask was to keep away bad smells, which were thought to be the principal cause of the disease in the miasma theory of infection, before it was disproved by germ theory. Doctors believed the herbs would counter the "evil" smells of the plague and prevent them from becoming infected.