Old-Time Makers of Medicine: The Story of The Students And Teachers of the Sciences Related to Medicine During the Middle AgesWalsh, James J. (James Joseph)
History
Old-Time Makers of Medicine: The Story of The Students And Teachers of the Sciences Related to Medicine During the Middle Ages
Walsh, James J. (James Joseph)
Medicine, Medieval; Physicians
Probably the most striking passage in her book is that with regard to a
torn perineum and its repair. This passage may be found in De Renzi or
in Gurlt. It runs as follows: "Certain patients, from the severity of
the labor, run into a rupture of the genitalia. In some even the vulva
and anus become one foramen, having the same course. As a consequence,
prolapse of the uterus occurs, and it becomes indurated. In order to
relieve this condition, we apply to the uterus warm wine in which butter
has been boiled, and these fomentations are continued until the uterus
becomes soft, and then it is gently replaced. After this the tear
between the anus and vulva we sew in three or four places with silk
thread. The woman should then be placed in bed, with the feet elevated,
and must retain that position, even for eating and drinking, and all the
necessities of life, for eight or nine days. During this time, also,
there must be no bathing, and care must be taken to avoid everything
that might cause coughing, and all indigestible materials."
There is a passage, also, almost more interesting with regard to
prophylaxis of rupture of the perineum. She says, "In order to avoid the
aforesaid danger, careful provision should be made, and precautions
should be taken during labor somewhat as follows: A cloth should be
folded in somewhat oblong shape, and placed on the anus, so that, during
every effort for the expulsion of the child, that should be pressed
firmly, in order that there may not be any solution of the continuity of
tissue."
Her book contains, also, some directions for various cosmetics. How many
of these are original, however, is difficult to say. Trotula's name had
become a word to conjure with, and many a quack in the after time tried
to make capital for his remedies in this line by attributing them to
Trotula. As a consequence, many of these remedies gradually found their
way into the manuscript copies of her book, and subsequent copyists
incorporated them into the text, until it became practically impossible
to determine which were original. There are manuscripts of Trotula's
work in Florence, Vienna, and Breslau. Some of these contain chapters
not in the others, undoubtedly added by subsequent hands. In one of
these, that at Florence, from which the edition of Strasburg was printed
in 1544, and of Venice, 1547, one of the Aldine issues, there is a
mention in the last chapter of spectacles. We have no record of these
until the end of the thirteenth century, when this passage was probably
added. It was also printed at Basle, 1566, and at Leipzig as late as
1778, which would serve to show how much attention it has attracted even
in comparatively recent times.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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