entirely healed (_consolidatur_), the wound of the abdominal wall is
to be sewed up and treated in the manner of ordinary flesh wounds.
If, however, the wound is large, a pledget (_pecia_) of lint, long
enough to extend from one end to the other and project a little, is
placed in the wound, and over this the exterior portion of the wound
is to be carefully sewed, and sprinkled daily with the _pulvis ruber_.
Every day the pledget which remains in the wound is to be drawn
towards the most dependent part, so that the dressing in the wound may
be daily renewed. When the intestinal wound is found to be healed, the
entire pledget is to be removed and the unhealed openings dressed as
in other simple wounds. The diet of the patient should be also of the
most digestible sort.
Thus far Gilbert has followed Roger almost literally. But he now adds,
apparently upon his own responsibility, the following paragraph:
_Quod si placuerit, extrahe canellum: factis punctis in sutura
ubi debent fieri antequan stringantur, inter duo puncta canellus
extrahatur, et post puncta stringantur. Hoc dico si vulnus intestini
sic (sit) ex transverso._
Apparently Gilbert feels some compunctions of conscience relative to
the ultimate disposition of the canula of alder-wood, and permits,
if he does not advise, its removal from the intestine before the
tightening of the last stitches.
Roland adds nothing to the text of Roger. But The Four Masters
(_Quatuor Magistri_, about A.D. 1270) suggest that the canula be made
of the trachea of some animal, and add:
_Canellus autem per processum temporis putrefit et emittur per
egestionem, et iterum per concavitatem canelli transibit egestio._
In his further discussion of wounds of the intestine and their
treatment Gilbert also volunteers the information that:
"Mummy (shade of Lord Lister!) is very valuable in the healing of
wounds of the intestine, if applied with some astringent powder upon
the suture."
In amends for the mummy, however, we are also introduced to the
practice of mediaeval anaesthesia by means of what Gilbert calls the
_Confectio soporifera_ (f. 234d), composed as follows:
_R._
_Opii,
Succi Jusquiami (hyoscyami),
Succi papaveris nigri, vel ejus seminis,
Sacci mandragorae, vel ejus corticis, vel pomorunt ipsius si succo
carueris,
Foliorum hederae arborae (ivy),
Succi mororum rubi maturorum,
Seminis lactucae,
Succi cuseutae (dodder)_, aa. ounce I.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account