Mission

Wonderful? Look closer...

There, now it's perfect. I had also heard that garb from the GAoP didn't usually have pockets. These slops look sort of like something from an earlier period from what I've been told. (Not that I know that much about clothing, mind you.)

It seems to me you would have to reach pretty far to prove such a thing. The entire purpose of a pirate flag is instill fear so that those they were attacking would give up without a fight. Somewhere I read that the original pirate flags were solid red and I thought they meant no quarter would be given in a fight. I must say that I am curious where Ed thinks the term Jolly Roger came from, if the jolie rouge thing is a bust.

Beginning this month I will be adding a new page each month for 2012 to my Pirate Surgeon website explaining the Golden Age of Piracy Surgeon's tools, procedures or history. These articles will be culled from my reading of period books, the references for which I will cite for those wishing to do further research. This month's page discusses the procedures for healing bullet wounds. Enjoy!

Everything I've seen talks about chests. I've never seen a reference to a barrel. As for standardization, the Navy might have standardized medicine chests, but the naval surgeons were also given money in advance to buy their own stuff. So I can't say for sure on that one. John Woodall standardized medicine chests for the East India Company, but as I mentioned before he had over 200 ingredients - probably so that a surgeon could cure anything he came up against. For the most part, merchant-ship surgeons were in charge of procuring their own medicines and instruments. So I doubt there was a great deal of standardization there. Pirates took merchant ships, not naval ships. Keep in mind that this was the 17th/18th century when everything was hand-built, including the surgical instruments. Standardization of parts had to wait for the 19th century. I have also seen advisements to surgeons to have enough medicine on hand for the entire voyage, which again suggests to me that the amount would vary based on the length of the trip and the number of men on board. Somewhere I thought I saw a reference to a medicine chest being loaded using ropes, but I can't find it now. That at least suggests to me that they were somewhat heavy. (Based on my own wooden box that is NOT a surgeon's chest - just a box for protecting the instruments during shipment - I'd say it would be something that would require two men to handle. And given that a lot of medicines were liquid, I would suspect the medicine chest would be just as, if not more, heavy than the instrument chest.

I am putting together a presentation on pirate surgeons for next month and I stumbled across this bit from Rory McCreadie's pamphlet The Barber Surgeon’s Mate of the 16th and 17th Century. (With a nod of thanks to Ed Fox for getting me a copy of that.) I have emphasized a point regarding the surgeon's chest. “In 1629 King Charles I ordered "all the English ships calling at English ports to have a surgeon on board. The king ordered the Barber-Surgeon's Company to get 97 trained Surgeons to fill ships which had not surgeons, for when the law came into force”. A trained Surgeon is a Surgeon plus kit. The Company could not get the numbers. The Apothecaries made up the numbers kitted out all 97 of the Surgeons and Apothecaries with 3 chests: a small wounds chest (first aid or plaster box); a large Surgeon’s chest and an Apothecary chest. The Surgeons were given a crash course in apothecary work, and the Apothecaries one in surgery. The cost of the chests alone would have been very high. Once on board the ship, if the first aid chest was not adequate, the Surgeon/Apothecary would go for the chest he had more knowledge of. These young men were probably the first doctors as we know them today, and were called Apothecaries/Surgeons. Before this time only the best surgeons would study both, for their own use. At one time, the Apothecaries and Surgeons planned to buy a shared barge (1664), but the Apothecaries could not raise the money for their share at the time. The Surgeons acquired their own.” (McCreadie, p. 23) What I find interesting in that is that this decree separates the Surgeon's chest and the Apothecary chest - further, it denotes a LARGE surgeon's chest. This hearkens back to William Clowe's chest (seen on the first post on the first page of this thread) which would be considered quite large compared with what I was thinking would be needed for a surgeon's chest of instruments while also being too small for the medicines IMO. I had thought Clowe's chest was supposed to be the apothecary chest. This could explain how Clowe's style of medicine chest could have existed; an Apothecary Chest containing the 200+ medicines - the amount John Woodall lists in his book the surgions mate - would stand alongsied the large 'instrument' medicine chest. (This means if I wanted to re-create the proper setup, I need two large, potentially heavy boxes...)

I think it would be neat to see some new presentations that you don't often see. Last year Mary was doing a really neat writing and sealing display at this event. By way of other examples, at the Fort Taylor Invasion this year, the twins were doing a washing and candle-making display. There were also knot tying and baggywrinkle-making displays at the event. At Brigand's grove there was a really nice navigation display. I also think back to the halcyon days of Pirates of Paynetown when there was a parson with an indentured servant, both of whom were usually in character. There are lots opportunities to create displays. I've yet to see a sail-making display. (At least I can't think of having seen one.) Yet this was a crucial role on a ship, along with the carpenter.

Pain may not be new to anyone, but I have seen one too many surgical presentations where the patient just sort of lies there. (I imagine you'd be just about hoarse by the end of a real surgery sans anesthesia.)

I want a patient who can act, though. It's the patient, not the surgeon, who has to sell it. :)

"In the immortal words of Jean Paul Sartre, 'Au revoir, gopher'" (If there is one requirement for working in any capacity on a golf course, it is the ability to quote Caddyshack backwards and forwards.)

I was just thinking about the battle scenarios (in light of the discussion on the Key West FTPI FB page) and thinking who much I liked having it in the middle of the park like they did last year. Hmm. I guess that's not a suggestion. If I were to attempt a surgery demonstration on a post-battle victim, that would probably be the event I'd like to try it at. We'd need a stretcher - like the ones they used in The Good, The Bad and the Ugly? :)

I used to be an assistant groundskeeper. True story.

As it was explained to me, it's always the weekend before the 4th of July weekend.

We used to have someone from Disney who hung around here and she sort of hinted (but never said as I recall - legalities and all that i suppose) that they wrote Will out because Orlando was a right pain in the arse as an actor. Where Will goes, so goes Elizabeth. Of course, publicly it was about the completion of their character story arc. (Which I find sort of funny given that they second and third movies were pretty clearly bolt-on additions to the series.) One thing I've learned from MST3K is that if you're not an actor, you shouldn't try to act in a good movie.

Considering that the plaster has Mercury in it (apparently being used as a diuretic), I suspect you want to steer clear of this remedy. Every medical writer from period that i have read seems to have a different script for the same disease, so I seriously doubt their medicines were (for the most part) anything notable. (They frequently disparage each other's recommendations in their books. Purmann holds forth for almost a page on how rotten various other surgeon's suggestions and 'receipts' were for curing Syphilis were. The joke was on him; none of their medicines worked. Syphilis naturally goes into remission between the second and third stages.) Modern medicine may be more of an art than a science, but we do use the scientific method to test it, where these surgeons were basically just guessing and repeating things other surgeons and physicians said would work.

Ah, this is sort of fun. An account about a "Person of great Quality." The fun part is about midway through, IMO. Note that it was typical to have several surgeons consult on such people - as the previous examples also indicate. “In July 1692, I had a Person of great Quality in Cure, who was afflicted with such Oedematous [fluid filled] Legs, mightily swelled, and besides the Patient was sixty two years of Age, when Dr. Tielisch, Dr. Peruse, and my self, were sent for. I first applied the following Plaister, and rolled the Legs very well with a Linen Bandage. Rx. Empl. de Ran, cum Mercur. Diaphoret Myns ana {uncia}x. Diasulphur. Ruland. (uncial}vj Succin. tartar albiss. ana {uncial}ij. Malax. Cum s. q. Ol. Laterin. ad Emplastrum. [uncias were the ancient measurement for an ounce, so I am guessing this is an old recipe.] Now, tho this Plaister made the Legs sweat very well, and something abated the Swelling, yet , seeing it would be a tedious piece of Work, we applyed Goats Piss and Sheeps Dung to the Legs, eight Days together, which succeeded very well, but since it made the Room nasty, and the Patient was obliged to receive many Visitants, we left it off and applyed the following Formentation round the Legs, with double Linen Cloaths moistened in it. Rx. Herb Cochlear. Theæ, Trasol. Aquat. Sabin Cicut ana Miss Rad. Bryon Ebul. ana {ounce}jss. Summit. Absinth. Rutæ rec. ana mj Sal. Tartar. Ammo nana {dram}iij. Nitri {dram}ijss cum. s. q Spirit Vini & Urin. Oven coquantur s. a postea Cola. VVhich succeeded so well, that in a Month’s time the Patient was perfectly cured.” (Purrman, p. 194) I'll bet it made the room nasty at that! Those People of Quality are so picky about their remedies...

Oh. I dunno. You'd have to find a doctor who wanted to read through all that. Medicine was sort of on the cusp between doggedly following ancient medical treatments (those recommended by Hippocrates and his followers) and actual treatment by the scientific principle of treating and recording what worked and what didn't. Purrman actually holds forth for a page or more on how the idea of suppuration in a wound was not really a good thing. [suppuration is the formation of pus.] Ancient medicine believed suppuration was a sign that the bad humors were being released and so recommended encouraging the formation of pus in wounds by keeping them open. Of course we now know that pus was a sign of infection. Over the next hundred years, medicine made progress unlike what had been seen in two thousand years previous to it.

I actually understand almost all of it, but then I've been reading these things for year and I tend to forget not everyone will immediately understand the words. Here's a couple that may give you trouble: Fistula - an abnormal connection between two places Emplaistr. - Plaster (medicine) Consumption - wasting away of the body What else doesn't make sense? (I will not translate medicines unless you REALLY want me to. They're all in misspelled Latin and are a right pain in the arse to figure out. Plus no sane person would want to recreate them as they didn't work for the most part.)

The one benefit of being an admin is that the edit line doesn't appear for some reason. Here is another one, not quite as fairy tail-ish, but along similar lines, I think. I am adding some paragraph breaks to make it a bit more digestible. “The Son of a Great Nobleman De la Genevrage, was push’d into the Breast with a Sword on the right Side, between the Fourth and Fifth Rib counting downward. When I cam to the Patient I soon perceived by the shortness of his Breath and clear Blood running out of the Wound, that it had penetrated his Breast; for whensoever the Lungs are wounded, difficulty of Breathing and Tratling in the Throat do always accompany it, the Blood comes foaming out of the Mouth, and that which issues out of the Wound is of a Fine Crimson Colour. In the first three days there came out two Pounds of Blood, and two days after at every Dressing about two Ounces of a very viscous Red and thick Moisture, which congealed as soon as received into the Porringer [dish for collecting blood.] However, this plentiful evacuation could not prevent a Fever [letting blood was thought to relieve fevers], which seized Him on the Sixth day, and continued with great violence till the Fourteenth, attended with a Cough which increased every day, and was a dangerous symptom. The Tent [folded bandage] came out of the Wound very Black, and yet there was no sign at all of any corruption in the Cavity of the Breast. The Fifteenth day the Cough abated. The Seventeenth a Substance partly Fleshy partly Membranous but very rotten came out of the Wound, with above three Ounces of bloody coagulated Matter, after which the Tent never look’d black again as before. The Eighteenth, Nature cast out another piece of a Fleshy substance, and as much matter as the day before, to the great Ease of the Patient, but this Evacuation not succeeding on the Nineteenth day, the Patient was taken with a very great cold and shivering, and after that with a Hot fit of a Fever, which abated the next day towards the Evening, but presently after such another fit seized him worse than the first, tho’ the Fit was not so violent and intermixed with some gentle breathing Sweats. These Paroxisms tho; they are commonly the Signs of a returning Fever, yet all the Physicians thought they proceeded from some latent Sanies in the Cavity of the Thorax, so that at their desire, tho’ contrary to my own Intentions, I was forced to make a Paracentesis, or opening into the Chest, upon which followed some drops of Blood with a kind of blowing and a steam; Now after they had seen this, and found the Operation was to no purpose, they desired it might be healed up again. Two days after this Operation, there came out of the old Wound a small piece of __ a putrified Membrane, and more than half a pound of stinking Matter, which continued flowing more or less every day, sometimes white and other times blackish; but this brought the Patient into a Consumption. Afterward the Wound turn’d to a Fistula, and the Patient was forced to wear a Pipe cover’d with Emplaistr. Andreæ á Cruce two year together. However, all this time the Patient kept a good Dyet, lived very temperately, and by the constant use of Womens Milk, the Wounds were healed, and the Patient so perfectly recovered, that afterwards he used all the Exercises of a Fencing School, which requires good Strength and Activity of Body; he Married, begot several Children, and lives in good Health, tho every one Thought him in a Consumption before he was wounded. This Observation I thought fit to insert in this Place, to let you understand how such Patients may sometimes be cured, contrary to all Opinions and Expectations; to the end that the Chirurgion may not despair, but use all possible endeavours for the Recovery of his Patient.” (Purrman, p. 129-30)

Ha ha! I used to write a column for a newsletter that ran along the general comedic lines of the these Journals and one of my regular readers told me he always saved my column for the throne. (And he honestly meant that as a high compliment.)

I don't want or not want anything with regard to these movies except the return of the skeletons. (Which I am pretty sure we will also never see again. Alas.) Based on how things seem to go in Hollywood, I just don't see them bringing Blackbeard back. OTOH, what other real-life pirate could they use top top him? If there were a pirate popularity poll, Blackbeard would no doubt win. (Mission wouldn't even be on the list. Although you might get a young Bill Murray to play me.)

I could well be wrong, but I'll bet we've seen the last of Blackbeard. That looked like a one shot movie.

Hmm. The web was hiccuping and not posting my entry. I even checked it in a separate tab with no joy before hitting the post key again.

It is one of the more interesting ones about dentistry. (Dentistry is often treated like the step-child of surgery although you can imagine how important it must have been on long voyages.) I thought it was funny because it was about a Princess. Disney should definitely consider making this one.

Here is the link to the web page for this year's Surgeon's Journal. I took the on-going Journal posted on the forum, cut some of the excess text, added other excess text, tried to add new jokes and matched it all up with photos. Sometimes. Sometimes I just stuck photos in randomly. There is a whole chapter on Lob, for those of you who have been asking for such. (Although, come to think of it, no one was asking for such.) 2011 FTPI/PiP Surgeon's Journal