A lecture, introductory to the course of surgical instruction in the Kentucky School of Medicine, 1854-55 / by Joshua B. Flint.

  • Flint, Joshua B. (Joshua Barker), 1801-1864.
Date:
1854
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A lecture, introductory to the course of surgical instruction in the Kentucky School of Medicine, 1854-55 / by Joshua B. Flint. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    into a newly formed surgical establishment, under the title o^harher- Burgeons; and the co-partnership between surgery and shaving has existed in France and England till very lately: nay, till so very near the present time was this foolery continued, that,' would heart of man e'er think it,' says the philosophical and facetious Aber- nethy, ' even I myself, have doffed my cap to barber-surgeons/ While this union of the surgeons and barbers continued, surgery retrograded ; in truth, surgery, while united with barbery, might fairly enough have been said to have been barbarous; and a more curious proof of it cannot, perhaps, be given, than the follow- ing order, which appears in the minute books of the the court of assistants, dated July 13, 1587, relative to the disposal of any subject that be daring enough to come to life, after being brought to the hall for dissection: ^Jtem. It is agreed that if any body which shall at any time hereafter, happen to be brought to the Hall, for the intent to be wrought upon by the Thanatomists of the Company, shall revive or come to life again as of late hath been, the charges about the same body so reviving, shall be borne, seen, levied and sustained by the person or persons who shall happen to bring home the body, and further, they shall abide such order or fine as this house shall award.' Another proof might be found in a by-law, by which they levied ten pounds on any person who should dissect a body out of their hall without leave. The prudent reign of Henry VII., produced a considerable alteration in the state of England, by the increase of the popula- tion, and a consequent increase in the number of subjects. In this reign Lues first made its appearance, and produced the most dreadful ravages. The necessity for Surgeons, therefore, increased, and. few there were who confined themselves entirely to that pro- fession. These few were, in fact, ten in number, whose portraits have been handed down to us in one of the finest efforts of Holbein's pencil, where these ten worthies are represented on their knees before Henry VIII., who confirmed the charter of the Sur-