Curiosities of medical experience / By J.G. Millingen.

  • John G. Millingen
Date:
1838
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Curiosities of medical experience / By J.G. Millingen. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    dreaded the impurity of their rivers. The Romans boiled their water in extensive thermopolia, where not only potations were drunk hot, but occasionally refrigerated with ice and snow, and, when thus prepared, called decocta. Juvenal and Martial refer this cus- tom to the Greeks. Herodotusinforms us that the Persian monarchs were accompanied on their expeditions by chariots laden with silver vases filled with the water of the Choaspes that had been boiled, and which was solely destined for the king’s use: Athenzus tells us that it was light and sweet. This real or supposed efficacy was scarcely discovered before it ‘became the domain of priests ; and common rain or river water be- came valuable and sanctified when blessed by them: hence the in- troduction of lustral water. The fluid extracted from the gown of Mahomet is the sacred property of the Sultan. The moment the fast of the Ramazan is proclaimed, this holy vestment is drawn from a gold chest, and, after having been kissed with due devotion, plunged in a vase of happy water, which, when wrung from the garment, is earefully preserved in precious bottles, that are sent by the monarch as valuable presents, or sold at exorbitant prices as cures for any and every disease. ‘Thus were the good effects of ablution, especially in wounds, attributed to some secret charm or quality conferred upon it by clerical benediction or the legitimacy of princes. When a quack of the name of Doublet cured the wounded at the siege of Metz in 1553, the water he used was considered to have been of a mystic nature; and Brantome describes his treatment in the follow- ing words: “ Durant le susdit et tant mémorable siége, était en la place un chirurgien nommé Doublet, lequel faisait d’estranges cures avec du simple linge blanc, et belle eau claire venant de la fontaine ou du puit; mais il s’aidait de sortiléges et paroles charmées, et un chascun allait a luy.’”?’ This Doublet, no doubt, was acquainted with an ingenious treatise on gun-shot wounds, written by Blondi in 1542, in which he strongly recommended the use of cold water ; but, as his recommendation was not founded on any miraculous quality, he was forgotten, while Doublet was considered a supernatural being. Previous to this simple and sagacious method of healing wounds, various curious applications were in high repute ; more especially the oil of kittens, which the celebrated Paré discovered, to his great delight, was prepared by boiling live cats, coat and all, in olive oil, and was until then a valuable secret preparation, called olewm cat- ellorum, and its use, with that of other nostrums, was known under the name of secret dressing.” This simple mode of dressing wounds, especially those that were inflicted by fire-arms, was a great desideratum ; for, up to this era in * Oil is, however, a useful application to wounds in warm climates. During the retreat of our troops after the battle of Talavera, I found the wounds of many of our men, that had not been dressed for three or four days, pullulating with maggots. ‘This was not the case with the Spanish soldiers, who, to prevent this annoyance (which was more terrific than dangerous), had poured olive oil upon their dressings. I invariably resorted to the same practice when I subsequently had to remove the wounded in hot weather.
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