Mission

Wow, I thought it was just me. I am a serial editor. (Although, as a rule of thumb, I rarely edit things when I notice people are reading them or -most especially- when they have commented on them. That just seems irresponsible to me, particularly if the comment could be construed as being controversial in any way. If I should'na said something but I put it out there, I figure I gots to take my lumps. That's just being decent.) My big problem is that I write something and it makes perfectly good sense, but I want to tweak it and make it tighter or more clever or stranger or something and then I fail to edit everything. Thus I leave extra words, incorrect tenses and so forth in the parts I forget to edit.

Neat idea! Although I've only used them for one project (because I only needed one), I really though the folks at Madame Joan's Wee Wiggies did a fine job making my hair queue (aka "plaited pony tail"). It took a few weeks to get the right hair color, but I really liked the result and it was very reasonably priced, IMO. Kudos to blackjohn for suggesting them to me as well. :rolleyes:

I'll have to add that to my NF list.

Weren't the signs wooden? If you want to make a faux seal skin, you might buy a piece of leather in the appropriate color and stipple it with paint to give it a pebbly appearance. (Stippling is dipping the paint brush into the paint and then holding the brush perpendicular to the surface jamming it down repeatedly with a little bit of force.) If not overdone, it creates a nice textured finish like that picture appears to me to have. Well, that's my suggestion, anyhow.

Doctor turned pirate, huh? You may already know about him, but the example that comes first to mind is Peter Scudamore. Thomas Dover was a surgeon who became a privateer for a few years, but privateers are not considered true pirates by most people. Surgeons were often taken by pirates from captured ships and kept until the pirate took another ship with a surgeon aboard. Then they would swap them. (You don't want a guy who's mad at you operating on you.) They weren't forced to join the crew (sign the articles), so they could usually avoid being hanged if the pirates were captured. So actually deciding to turn pirate was a dangerous step for a surgeon. You're a brave man, sir. The nice thing about your chosen role is that you don't necessarily have to collect a lot of surgical equipment. That's can be an expensive undertaking if you want equipment that's period correct. (The best place I've found for close to period reproduction instruments is G. Gedney Godwin.) You might also want to try reading a period surgical manual so you know some of the terms and such. If you decide to do that, you'll hear a lot about John Woodall's The surgions mate, but if you're only going to read one, I would actually recommend John Moyle's book Chirurgus marinus, or The Sea Chirurgion. It was first printed in 1693 (while Woodall's first came out in 1617) and I've found it is better organized, more concise and easier to read. (Plus it covers a lot of the same material, although he prescribes different medicines and slightly different procedures.) If you want those books, you can get pdfs of them from libraries that have access to the database "Early English Books Online" (Woodall's book) and/or "English Short Title Catalog" (Moyle's book). However, I have found that these databases are typically only available at large universities because databases are expensive for universities to subscribe to and this is such a specialized subject. I advise calling the university before going to see if they have the database(s) you want. Make sure to check if you can get on as a guest user as well - reference librarians can be extraordinarily helpful in this regard. You might also do a search for the term 'surgeon' in the Twill forum - the search function is at the bottom of the forum. (BTW, you're a surgeon, not a doctor. I'd explain that, but it would take more time than the explanation would merit. ) You'll find I've reprinted a lot of material in there from period surgical books in as authentic a way as I can and have even deciphered some of the the more obscure terms. It is by no means comprehensive or even very well organized (I reprint stuff as I am reading it, usually choosing the grossest possible descriptions), but you'll get a sampling of the material. Good luck with your role! Welcome to the board!

Do we have someone here who can cast designs in iron? I have a medical instrument I want to make and I'd be interested in pricing the design and molding.

In fact (in the general sense of the world), I believe most individual misunderstandings could be quickly solved if all the parties involved would take the time to shift their perspectives. I find it a most stimulating exercise. Plus I love shifting between the forest and the trees...but I digress. Mr. Cross is quite right about the intent of the thread.

I agree with all that, but the original post reads like only certain fires are common fires and seemed to me to imply that others were not, so maybe I am just misreading the post. Please re-read my post and you'll note that it doesn't accuse anyone of elitism, it says smacks of it from the perspective of someone not in the groups specifically delineated. I also recognized in my post that there is a limit to the fires which is why I think they should all be open and inviting to everyone and geographically spread around so as not to appear to have specific crew ownership. (This was what I thought was so neat about the Hide. It was all of that.) Again, I may be just misreading the first post which to me sounded like the Hurricane/Boucan fire (and by implication of shared ownership, the Hide fire) were shared fires. If so, my apologies for misunderstanding.

Boy, the things you find hanging around eBay. This is an 18th century (according to the eBayer) spring-loaded fleam. It looks pretty right for period to me, but I'm no expert. Very, very cool, although the auction beginning price is insane. So I'll just share the pictures so you folks can admire this thing too. (A fleam is used for bloodletting. The blades during period were usually driven in with a wooden stick, although some fancier encased mechanical spring-loaded fleams were starting to appear near the end of the GAoP): The auction description yells: "RARE 18TH CENTURY STEEL FLEAM IN LOVELY CONDITION .THERE IS A COMPARTMENT FOR SPARE BLADES. TWO BLADES ARE PRESENT. LENGTH 4 INCHES. SOME PITTING AS IN IMAGES.." They had a thing for using multiple blades, probably to make different cuts, although on my (non-spring loaded) multi-bladed fleem, the blades are very similar.

I would think you would want to spread them out geographically in the site and make them all basically common fires with a designated group taking responsibility for them. (Like the Hide. The Hide was truly awesome.) That way they are treated like shared resources, which is a good idea since we have a limit. Otherwise (looking at it a being someone from outside the groups mentioned) it smacks of elitism. I'm sure that's not the intent, but why even invite the potential for divisiveness?

So only crews who post here are having fire pits? That hardly seems fair to the other crews who show up for this event, particularly since many of us hang around in the same area.

Good ol' Mencken. I'll drink to that. (Coffee, as it happens.) Did you read about that Financial Services Oversight Council they're trying to create? There's some scary stuff coming at us these days. "The urge to save humanity is almost always a false front for the urge to rule." -H.L. Mencken

Let's not.

Hmm. Now I seem to need a Depulsor and a Uvula-spoon... "CHAP. XLIV Of extraneous things got into the Throat. If a Fish bone, or Pin, or the like small and sharp thing, be by accident got sticking in the Throat, (as often happens) you are with your Forceps to extract it. But if it be a large bone or gristle, you are to thrust it down into the Stomach with your Depulsor; some have them of Silver, others of Steel, with __ a Button at the end, but that made of Whale-bone, smaller at one end than at the other, with a Spunge Buttom fastened to the smaller end, is best of all, for it bends as the Throat requires. 'Tis to be dip in Wine or Beer, and so put into the upper mouth of the Oesophagus, and and the bone thrust down with it. By this means my self hath saved several that have been well near suffocated." (Moyle, John, Chirurgus Marinus: or, the Sea-Chuirurgion, p. 239-40) "CHAP. XLV Of violent Bleeding at Nose. If the Nose happen to Bleed violently, it is from the thinness and sharpness of the Blood, and Erosion of the small Veins within the Os Cribrosum. Many ways have been used to stop the Nose bleeding, and that which has stopt one has failed in another. Some apply Cloths dipt in Acetum to the Privities [!], others put pieces of cold Iron to the Neck; some again __ make Ligature about the Joints [ligatures are pieces of fabric tied around a part to restrict flow], and others apply dorcels [dossil] of Cotten, dipt in restringent powder, into the Nostrils, with several other ways. But the best way is to let blood immediately, and that in the inferior part, (if possible) as the Leg or Foot, for that surely makes revulsion [diversion of blood from an affected part to a distant one]. In the next place take Pulvis Troch. de terra Lemnia, (or powder of Vitriol Rom, which is just as good) and blow it up the Nostrils forcibly with your Uvula-spoon, and a little Dorcel or Lint sprinkled with the same, put lightly up the Nostrils. But I have known, when all means has failed, that a quick Purge has done the Cure. As that of Extract Rudii {scruple}ij. given in the time of bleeding, and excited to work as soon as possible, (but have a care you give nothing that may cause Vomiting.) These things being done and over, you may give Laudinum gr. [grain?] iij. and expose the Patient to rest; or else Syr de moconio {ounce}j. in Aq. Papav. Comp. {ounce}iij. f. Haust. this composes and quiets the petulancy of the blood wonderfully." (Moyle, p. 240-1)

Today es el cumpleaňos de seaskull. Curiously, upon looking at seaskull's user ID, the picture is of some guy (probably from a movie, I'd guess). However, the email suggests that this person's name is Justine. What is it about women and cool skull usernames? Why do I never meet these people in real life?

Hey, hey... ya' gotta' respect the squirrels. (Two per usage.)

I love that comparison! Why aren't you coming?

I was watching a squirrel run along an overhead wire this morning. S/he got on from a small tree branch, crossed a side street, went by two telephone poles and a large tree branch hanging near the wire and kept going. What I wondered was...did s/he have an intended goal? Was s/he heading for a particular tree? Or was s/he just on the overhead wire going merrily along because s/he had started out going merrily along? Do squirrels behave with focus and intent or is it all somewhat random? (Oh, I realize they store food for the winter, so there is some focus and intent, but how much?)

I have been waiting for two days to use the word "atavism" or "atavistic" in a conversation and it's just not happening for me. (Why doesn't the universe comply? It's usually much more reliable than this!)

I like the way that one is rigged and the design of the sails. (Knowing little about ships, I am going to guess that it's not PC because I like it.)

I wanna' see Iron Bess skip down the hall. I think #12 can be used anywhere. No sense restricting it to the zoo. It would be fun to yell at other places like Wal~Mart, the bank & Victoria's Secret.

Pretty cool. I like the button-head nails in the top.

"Master of the house, doling out the charm Ready with a handshake and an open palm Tells a saucy tale, makes a little stir Customers appreciate a bon-viveur..."

"Right Here, Right Now" by Jesus Jones.

And some of you wonder why I insist on getting a room off-site.