i went to an inaugral neuroscience seminar on friday given by Prof. Iain Donaldson, who was also among the first few to record and stimulate the thalamus (a structure rather deep in the brain) in monkeys, a practice that later made its way into clinical treatment for some parkinson's patients. it was about 16th and 17th century practices in surgery, particularly about the discoveries and ideas of how (gun-shot) wounds and poisoning should be and can be treated, and also about the emergence of empiricalism in the medical practice. it was a very entertaining lecture, different in ways to what i am used to (facts and big ideas and some findings of support).
history is very relevant to any field or practice but is often taken for granted or forgotten. translating from the old latin and french texts to english, one discovers all the uncertainties of treating new wounds in those days are quite similar to the ones we encounter today. the 'hero' is Par?, a french surgeon known for his detailed and practical observations in treating patients and his empirical approach to finding the (more) appropriate remedies for wounds rather than simply following what his fellow surgeons would do. many of these remedies come from the folks themselves, the old remedies.... and i shall share a few i have jotted down in case they might be of some use one day:
for serious wounds:
make a paste with egg yolk, oil of roses and some medical turpentine and apply to the wound. (this is many times gentler than scalding the wound as was usually practiced)
for burns:
apply some raw onions with a little crushed salt (not sure if it has to be in the form of a paste but presumably it would work too!)
maybe it's time to find a book of old remedies....!
posted by ~overacuppa~ on Saturday, 31 January, 2004 at 13:04 hrsI find this really interesting! I wonder if the salt would make the wound hurt though. But very riveting. You really wonder how the people coped with illness and injury centuries ago. I want to hear about the gunshot wounds!
Posted by: Van Heng on Friday, 6 February, 2004 at 02:42 hrsi think the juices from onions and garlic might actually hurt but are supposed to be antiseptic. and i am guessing that perhaps the salt either neutralises or alleviates this 'burning' sensation....i'll try to get a herbal remedy book out from the library... it is indeed fascinating!
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