Epoch-making books in British surgery. V, The surgeons mate by John woodallwhole course of chirurgerie compiled by Peter Lowe, Scotchman / by Sir D'Arcy Power, K.B.E., F.S.A.

Power, D'Arcy, Sir, 1855-1941

Date:: 1928

Credit: Epoch-making books in British surgery. V, The surgeons mate by John woodallwhole course of chirurgerie compiled by Peter Lowe, Scotchman / by Sir D'Arcy Power, K.B.E., F.S.A. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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$relief are recommended to the exclusion of purgatives, of which Woodall seems to have had an especial abhorrence. Diarrhoea—fluxes, as he calls them — >were also of common occurrence. He had no means of discriminating them, so he groups them roughly into Lienteries, Diarrhoeas, and Dysenteries. For them “ Laudanum is the only sure help and if at first it cure not, yet it giveth rest, whereby the party afterwards will be the stronger to endure other reasonable medicine, always remembering there be three or four hours betwixt each dose ”. “ And among other needful instruments for poor sea-men in fluxes never be unfurnished in the ship of one or two close-stools with doors to them and brass pails, that poor miserable men in their weakness may be eased thereon and not be constrained to go either to the beake-head, or shrouds (as they term it) for that not only increaseth the disease but also causeth the falling down of the Ano, a fearful accident.’5 Of scurvy Woodall says, “ some men conceive this disease happeneth to sea-men only, through long being at sea without touch of land, as is seen in the East India voyages ; our men have it betwixt England and the Cape de bon speranze ” . It was so common indeed that “ A fever at sea commonly ends in the Scurvy, wherefore by the way beware of too large purging or phlebotomy which increase oft the grief and makes it incurable. I speak this because I have noted there is a fault in young Surgeons of forwardness in taking too much blood at Sea.” The best-known passage of Woodall’s writings occurs in his treatment of scurvy, where he says: “ The Chirurgeon or his Mate must not fail to persuade the Governor or Purser in all places where they touch in the Indies, and may have it, to provide themselves of juice of Oranges, limes, or lemons and at Banthame of Tamarinds, for these good helps which you shall find in the Indies do far exceed any that can be carried thither from England, and yet there is a good quantity of Juice of Lemons sent in each ship out of England by the great care of the merchants, and intended only for the relief of every poor man in his 'need, which is an admirable comfort to poor men in that disease. Also I find we have many good things that heal the Scurvy well at land, but the Sea Chirurgeon shall do little good at Sea with them.” Woodall’s surgical treatment is excellent, for it is simple and is the out¬ come of his personal experience abroad and at home. Speaking of the treat¬ ment of fractures he says “it is manifest that in simple fractures the placing of the bones and keeping them so is the most work of the Cure and nothing cureth a fractured bone so much as rest, wherefore when a bone is newly placed and shall be troubled with much lifting and rowling [bandaging] it cannot but hinder union.” Of dislocations he says, wisely enough, “ When the Surgeon taketh a view of a member dislocated it were good that the other side also were uncovered, that thereby the true form and situation of the diseased limb being well regarded and compared together with the whole joint the better judge¬ ment and truer indication might be taken. I mean if one shoulder or elbow be out of joint let the Surgeon make bare the other side also. Then seek to reduce or place the bone by those means which in thy own reason seem fittest.” For his own part Woodall preferred to reduce dislocations of the shoulder by an instrument “ which I learned the practice of in Poland whilst$