Posted on 04/19/2019 12:30:29 AM PDT by SunkenCiv
Just another general comment about science & technology: We tend to think of technological progress in this age as “onward & upward”. I don’t believe that was always the case in earlier times, especially in the absence of a true scientific method where theories are rigorously tested. I think advances were often abandoned/forgotten only to be rediscovered at a later time & place.
There goes Stargate.
Riddle of ‘Baghdad’s batteries’
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/2804257.stm
Thanks all. The importance of cleaning wounds has long been upheld by health pros, and the Prince would naturally get the best care there was. In the Civil War, the need to perform amputations after a battle was enormous, and most army surgeons caught on to the importance of, y'know, rinsing off the implements a little between jobs. In Henry V's teens there was of course no idea about microbiology.
I read, during the 15th century, there was a potent incantation to say over a wound. Recovery was in the 80% range.
Oh yeah, it also included, almost as an afterthought, the instructions to thoroughly cleanse the wound, wrap it in clean linen and leave it alone. No cow dung or other such salves. :-)
Another one was, if possible, treat the weapon that caused the wound the same way as the actual wound itself. No success rate was mentioned for that one. Distantly related to the anti-gunners claim that the gun itself causes crime.
“Tis but a scratch!”
A most interesting thread and post, SunkenCiv. Thanks.
Oldplayer
Thank you, and I wholeheartedly agree -- the YT vid I linked was how I found out about the thing, remarkable story.
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