Mission

I got this through NF recently. I enjoyed it and thought some of the extras were decent. It was an interesting dilemma for the captain and, in a broader sense, a rather curious commentary on society. (I think I came away with a different view than the movie suggested.) But it makes you think...that's a good movie for ya'.

GGG is about as close as you get to period repro that I've found. Their stuff seems to be dated around the time of Rev War as near as I can place it (maybe F&I war). There are some Civil War repro companies I've come across that make repro surgical stuff but since GGG compares pretty favorably to them in price, I don't see the point of purchasing stuff that far from period. I actually think GGGs prices are pretty decent, all things considered. My primary complaint about GGG is that they don't have all the stuff you need to make a full out surgeon's kit (Although they just added sort of crane's bill forceps, which makes me really happy. I've not seen any on eBay in the past two years and I've been actively looking. In fact, I was considering buying their regular forceps and bending them myself.) There's also the wait time...I waited over a year for one piece from them. I guess it's because their stuff is hand-made. The other option I've found is eBay. But they are extremely hit & miss, you've got to know what will at least pass for period (because the true period stuff is really expensive), and even the pass-for-period stuff makes GGG look cheap by comparison. I bought an 1750-1800 bone saw off eBay, spending several times what they charge, making theirs look like a steal. The fact it, outfitting to be a surgeon is sort of expensive. If you want a decent medical kit, I'd be prepared to spend at least a thousand on your stuff. (This is why it's best to acquire stuff over time and build your collection gradually.) Now as to their new box...it doesn't quite look correct to me. Since we don't have extant examples, it's hard to say if velvet-lining for medical tool chests was appropriate or not to period. Even if it is, that seems like a luxury. Most sea-surgeons were newly trained and couldn't find land-based positions. So they would go to sea instead to get experience. They would typically be financially strapped and probably would not have spent the extra money required for such luxurious accommodations for their tools. (This is admittedly guesswork on my part based on what I have read about sea surgeons.) I think you'd be better to make your own...which I plan to do some day. Some day... See the thread On Making a Medical Chest for my research progress (if not my actual construction progress).

Wow, geomagnetic pole reversal! Why have I never stumbled across this before? Fascinating... From wiki: "Through analysis of palaeomagnetic data, it is now known that the field has reversed its orientation tens of thousands of times since its formation very early on in earth history. With the increasingly accurate Global Polarity Timescale (GPTS) it has become apparent that the rate at which reversals occur has varied considerably throughout the past. During some periods of geologic time (e.g. Cretaceous Long Normal), the Earth's magnetic field is observed to maintain a single orientation for tens of millions of years. Other events seem to have occurred very rapidly, with two reversals in a span of 50,000 years. The last reversal was the Brunhes-Matuyama reversal approximately 780,000 years ago." "Because the magnetic field has never been observed to reverse by humans with instrumentation, and the mechanism of field generation is not well understood, it is difficult to say what the characteristics of the magnetic field might be leading up to such a reversal. Some speculate that a greatly diminished magnetic field during a reversal period will expose the surface of the earth to a substantial and potentially damaging increase in cosmic radiation. However, Homo erectus and their ancestors certainly survived many previous reversals. There is no uncontested evidence that a magnetic field reversal has ever caused any biological extinctions."

Now this is absolutely fascinating. I've been reading 17th century English sailor journals for a couple years and noticing the odd weather they describe. A climatologist has decided to do this formally. Dr. Denis Wheeler is using 18th and 19th naval logs to examine temperatures and weather conditions from the period. You can read about it here. "Ships’ logbooks were the main resource used to monitor the weather in the oceans. Officers on these ships kept careful records of the daily, and sometimes hourly, climate conditions. What that means today is modern researchers are able to find out what the weather was like anywhere in the world on a particular day, right through the Little Ice Age and back to 1750." There should be a lot of interesting data on Arctic ice in the search for the northwest passage as well. Based on my own reading, I doubt you'll hear much about this as I suspect it will fail to support the current supposition that modern carbon emissions are largely responsible for weather aberrations.

Some place else that worth a mention if you don't mind driving is the No Name Pub. It's really a beer and burgers joint, but getting there is trippy. You have to get off A1A at Big Pine Key and drive through suburbs...and more suburbs...and cross this iffy looking bridge (not as iffy-looking as it used to be, but...) and there it is. The place also used to be very iffy looking - I must admit I hesitated the first time I went there - but that's also been cleaned up a lot. (Alas.) NNP used to be a big motorcycle destination back when No Name Key was less civilized and built up, but the last two times I've been there I must admit that it's gone more tourist than local. There was a wait for a table! That's loads different than the first time I ventured there. Still it's sort of a destination restaurant in the Keys - there's signed dollar bills stapled all over the walls - literally hundreds and maybe even thousands of them. Back in the "wilds" of Big Pine off A1A is also where you're most likely to see Key Deer - especially in the evening/dusk from my experience. (They're sort of cute - pint-sized deer.)

Oh, I do like this. “For one must aim at attaining a certain measure, and yet this measure admits neither weight nor calculation of any kind, by which it may be accurately determined, unless it be the sensation of the body; wherefore it is a task to learn this accurately, so as not to commit small blunders either on the one side or the other, and in fact I would give great praise to the physician whose mistakes are small, for perfect accuracy is seldom to be seen, since many physicians seem to me to be in the same plight as bad pilots, who, if they commit mistakes while conducting the ship in a calm do not expose themselves, but when a storm and violent hurricane overtake them, they then, from their ignorance and mistakes, are discovered to be what they are, by all men, namely in losing their ship.” (Hippocrates, On Ancient Medicine, Hippocratic Writings, translated by Francis Adams, 1952, p. 3)

Not to be confused with the Boston Molasses Disaster! Which would you prefer? For drinking, or dodging?!?! Good point! Although what about swimming in beer? (Not being a huge beer fan myself it doesn't have quite the same appeal as the phrase "swimming in single malt scotch" but you know...

Not to be confused with the Boston Molasses Disaster! Which would you prefer?

Were splatter dashes primarily military?

Speaking of news from alcohol history, I heard on my classical radio station this morning that today (10/16) is the anniversary of the London Beer Flood. From wiki: "The London Beer Flood occurred on October 16, 1814 in the London parish of St. Giles in the United Kingdom. At the Meux and Company Brewery on Tottenham Court Road, a huge vat containing over 135,000 imperial gallons (610,000 l) of beer ruptured, causing other vats in the same building to succumb in a domino effect. As a result, more than 323,000 imperial gallons (1,470,000 l) of beer burst out and gushed into the streets." This is why I listen to classical music on the radio.

Thanks for the info! In fact, I don't really care about registration for my part, other than getting a gate pass so I can be around after hours and such. Since I'm staying in a hotel, camping is not a concern for me. I'm just thinking of what other people may want to know.

If the space is limited and registration might fill up (as I believe has been suggested), will people sent their stuff in on time but it didn't arrive still be given a camping spot? That's where I see there being a problem for those sent in their forms and who want space at the fort. There should be some kind of verification for folks if they're dealing with limited space.

(Note: This is pretty tame for those of you who are weak of stomach. Chances are you've already stopped looking when I post to this thread, so I'm probably talking to no one here, but there you are. Where ever you are.) Someone asked me about how fractures were handled during period and my basic response was 'pretty much like they are today. (Without casts which hadn't been invented yet and with humors, which is obviously out of date.)' I've been reading a new old (very old) source and I thought he put it all together nicely. In fact, this is one of the better surgical treatises I've come across. So here's a long answer about treating fractures just for the joy of typing on my part. This happens to be the instructions for treating a broken arm, but to paraphrase the author, the arm is pretty representative of other limbs. Note: The books attributed to Hippocratic Corpus are estimated to have been written in the 4th century BC and compiled in the 3rd century BC...so not a lot has really changed over the millennia.

Today I got my first gold tooth crown. Now I can pretend to be Jack Sparrow. (The good lord know we need another person who does that. )

In fact, I named that pic "Skull Worhol.jpg" ;)

Chatty Bob. Congrats and all. (However, there's only one promotion that matters.)

It appears to be fixed! (Huzzah.)

Period attire certainly allows for interesting drinking events.

As I mentioned, I'm pretty confident that this stuff is well and truly in the public domain at this point.

No nothing will be mailed! Thanks! I know this will probably be something of a pain in the neck, but would it be possible for those receiving these things to post the names of the folks whose apps you have received from board members? I think the mail is estimated to be able to deliver 99.4% of the material they received, but...you know. It would be nice to have receipt confirmed and all.

Ah! So nothing will be mailed this year? (Just to make it crystal clear for everyone.)

Ta-tas is a little enigmatic so it evokes the bumper-stickers that say "Save the whales." "Save the boobs" lets you jump right to the point, missing the cute homage to the STW bumper-sticker. Plus, "Save the boobs" may confuse people. They might think it is a call for public education.

We don't usually get stuff back from the registration forums until mid-November. Last year there was a whole packet of stuff including rules, guidelines and gate entry passes. I think they're going with coins instead of passes this year from what's been said, though. If I am recalling correctly, they had a gate pass card and a token of some sort last year, although I never got a token. (Either that or I lost it, which is highly likely.) BTW, to add to Fayma's link, for those you who (like me) haven't sent in your registrations you can get them to pop up on your computer via this direct link: http://www.forttaylor.org/pipregform2009.pdf You can now fill it out on-line and then print it out all purty to simply sign and send. (No email option, but at least you can type it in now. )

And here's the poem on Mercury. I like it the best so far, although he does rather go on in the middle. I really like all the odd contractions and lurid descriptions, though. Some comments on it might be helpful. (Note: if the topics in the poem don't interest you, you can skip to the poem itself, as this is sort of involved and slightly technical.) ________________________________________________________________________ There are several references to humors - when you see words like 'dry,' 'hot,' and 'cold,' this is what he is talking about. Medicines were thought to be dry/wet/hot/cold properties in varying degrees. They were usually used to treat illnesses that had the opposite humoral descriptions. Different people's temperaments were also thought to have associated dry/wet/hot/cold aspects. There is also reference to different properties of medicines, but since I haven't fully researched this, my thoughts on what these things are are sort of guesses based on the terms. (I've been meaning to research this more fully, so I'll take a whack at it here...but don't quote me. ) Causticke/Corrosive - Something that burns away scar tissue or "proud flesh" Mundificative - Cleansing Sigillate - To induce the formation of tissue on a wound He talks about the other planets, which you might think has to do with the name Mercury (and it might) but I think it probably also refers to astrology, which had a role in medicine at this time. The reference to Hermaphrodite is probably a nod to alchemy (which he mentions earlier) and the liquid/metal state of Mercury. Making the Philsopher's stone was thought to involve marrying the male to the female (two different states) thus creating a single male/female entity which was part of the alchemical process. (If you want more info on that, off to research you should go, 'cuz that's already more than interests me. ) In the end of this poem, he seems to be railing against other medical practitioners. He actually does just that in the text before hand, complaining about their profligate use of this medicine in very strong terms. (It does give him a chance to recite a fine list of some symptoms of mercury poisoning, though.) ________________________________________________________________________ “In Laudem Merucrij: Or in Praise of Quicksilver or Mercurie Whereto shall thy worth compare? whose actions so admired are, No medicine knowne is like to thee, in strength, in vertue and degree. Yet makest they patient seeme like death, with ugly face, with stinking breath: But thou to health him soone restores, although he have a thousand sores. The perfectist cure proceeds from thee, for Pox, for Gout, for Leprosie, For scabs, the itch, of any sort, These cures with thee are but a sport. __ Thou humors canst force to sublime, and them throw down when thou seest time, Yea from each end diseases flie, when thou art prest they force to try. Sweat to provoke, thou goest before, and urine thou canst moove good store, To vomit for diversion best, in purging downe thoug guid’st the rest. Mans body dry thou canst humeckt performing it with due respect, And being too moist thou mak’st it dry who can that secret cause descry. Quid non men terme thee, wot’s thou why? thou canst be faithfull yet wilt lye: Thy temperament unequall strange, is ever subject unto change. For thou are moist all men may see, and thou art dry in highest degree: Thou’rt hot and cold even when thou please, and at they will giv’st paine in ease. Yet thou hast faults, for I dare say, thou heal’st and kilst men every day, For which I will not thee excuse, nor hold them wise that thee abuse. But for my selfe I doe protest, as trusty friend within my brest, Thy secrets rare most safe to hold, esteeming them as finest gould. And why? Thou art the Surgeons friend, his worke thou canst begin and end: __ For tumours cure, yea hot or cold, thou art the best, be it new or old. For recent wounds who knoweth thee, hath got a peereles mysterie: A Causticke thou are strong and sure, what callous flesh can thee indure? In Maturation where t’is dew, thou art the best I ever knew: For repercussion thou win’st praise, by dissolution thou giv’st ease. What’s virulent thou do’st defie, and sordid Ulcers dost descry: Yea fistulaes profound and fell, thou searchest out and curest well. No ulcer can thy force indure, for in digestion thou art sure: Mudification comes from thee, and incarnation thous hast free. To sigillate thou do’st not faile and lest strange symptoms should assaile The greefe late heal’d, thou canst convay, th' offending cause an other way. The Alchymist by Vulcan sought, from volatile thee fixt t’have wrought: But thou defiest his trumpery, and changed him to beggary. Had I but all thy healing Art, it would so much advance my heart, I should not doubt equall to be in wealth to Lords of high degree. __ But from thy venomous vapours vile, thy corrosive sting that bones defile, They noysome favors full of paine, God give me grace free to remaine. For when thou ragest Bird, nor Tree, nor fish, nor fowle can withstand thee: What mineral so stout can say, she can withstand thy force one day? To Saturns brest thou seem’st to dwell, by Jupiters soyle thou dost excell, Thou Lion-like surprisest Mars, rich Sol thou mak’st as pale as ash. Thou Venus beauty canst allay, thou Hydrarge dost Elipse Luna: And though thou seem’st to wrong all sixe, not one without thee can be sixe. Thou art their Mother, so saies Fame, which gives them cause t’adore thy name: Ready thou art as women be, to helpe poore men in misery. Humble, to dust, and ashe at will water and oyle from thee men still: Tost up and downe in fire thou art yet subtill Mercurie plaies his part. Meeke as a Lambe, manly eake, soft as the Wool, Tiger like: Millions in one, one in a Million, Male and Female in thy pavilion. Thou Hermaphrodite as Fathers know, seeming solid, truely not so: __ Thoul’t be in all, none rests in thee, thy boldnes brings Calamity. Thou Idoll of the Chymists ould, who shall thy secrets all unfould? Swift in thy tongue, none can thee stay, when thou seem’st dead thour’t flowne away. If thour’t in all things as men say, daily produced and fled away, Up to the skie, downe to the grave, a wonder like thee, where shall men have? But mend thy faults or thou shalt heare, I’le blaze them out another yeare: For many a guiltles man thou hast lam’d, and many a modest wight defam’d. And yet t’is finne to wrong a theefe, th' Impostures fault therein was cheefe: For he that would be bold with thee, ‘twere meet he knew Philosophy. For thou to such art knowne and true, but hatest fooles that men undoe, Handling thee without due cause, thou being not subject to their lawes. Now to conclude, one boone grant mee, I will require it gratefully: If th’s old wife kill thee with fasting spittle, survive to make her patient cripple. Fro well I know it is in thee to cause disgrace effectually: His throat and nose see thou defile, for thou thy Father canst beguile. __ Force out his teeth, close up his jaw, and leave scarce entrance for a straw: Yea deafe, or dumbe see thou him make, with ache and woe, with palsie shake. Regard not thou through he should curse, whose griefes th’ hast chang’d from ill to worse: It’s knowne by thee ther’s many sleepe, for whom it is too late to weepe. I’le leave thee lest thy anger rise, thy favours let no man despise: For as sword drawne, I know thour’t prest, men to offend, or yield them rest. To any mov’d at these meane times, I answer ‘twas my idle times, And love to youths in Surgery, urg'd me t’unmaske old Mercurie. If Zoylus deeme I stretch too wide, in praising thee what heeres descri’de, I nothing doubt to prove each line, to him that quarrels in due time.” (Woodall, p. 301-6)

I think three page discussions about how to hang a tankard are pretty funny myself. (But again, I appear to have a strange approach to all this.) And Patrick is the prince of pyrate re-enactors in my book. We could all do a lot worse than to try to emulate his approach. He's open, helpful, non-judgmental, not easily offended and a nice guy. This is why I found it odd at first when some said they thought the point of of a thread he started is to bash re-enactors. Maybe they just had never met Patrick. He can talk authentic, he can talk stitches, he can talk fantasy wear, he can talk boucan, he can talk re-imagining, he can talk world politics, he can talk physics... And he seems to knows something about all these things. So I don't think he started this as a bashing thread in any way. Reel and real has great appeal. However, it might be a tad too broad. OTOH, being broad (and well stated) makes it the least offensive. OTOOH, where does this leave pirates with skulls and fairy wings? The sorta' fit in the Reel category, but not really. At an event, I think this would be an awesome way to explain it to the public as Sterling outlined, though. It's easy to grasp and better than any more complicated structure we'll come up with. (But let's don't let that stop us... ) The entertainment thing Jib brought up is interesting to me. I sort of hesitate to even attempt to establish categories because I seriously doubt the things we do here are going to have much universal impact. (Although you never know...) But I also love to make categories, so building on Jib's post for the fun of doing this (and focusing on something other than clothing, which I think is misleading everyone): The Entertainer - A swell rag by Scott Joplin. No...wait... Someone interested in amusing the public through popular conceptions of dress and behavior for the period. They rely on broad, popular characterizations, often based on movies and popular literature. (Mostly stolen from Jib.) The Edutainer - Someone interested in educating the public on previous ways of living through personally researched period dress and activities. They rely on characterizations, skits, displays and explanations designed to teach past customs. The Purist Someone interested in total period immersion through living in the manner of the people from a particular period through personally researched period dress and behaviors. They rely on complete re-creation of a period environment. (Because of the interest in personally gratifying immersion, the public may be viewed as interfering with their characterization.) Of course, folks will slide back and forth even in those broad categories based on what events they decide to attend. However, I am trying to get to the heart of the matter by describing motivation rather than surface things like what you have or wear or do at an event. So someone may attend a public re-enactment, but behave like a purist. (Which may lead them to appear critical to Edutainers.)