what was probably a partially spent ball. The wound made by the missile was of such a nature that it permitted a large portion of the "zirbus" (omentum), together with some of the intestinal canal, to protrude from the opening. After making a careful examination of the parts, Clowes was satisfied that the intestine was still uninjured.
Then with a strong double thread I did tie fast the zirbus as
close unto the wound as possible wel I might, and within a finger
bredth or thereabouts I did cut off that part of the zirb that hanged
out of the wound, and so I cauterized it with a hot iron almost to
the knot; all this being done, I put again into the body that part of
the zirb which I had fast tied, and I left the peece of thred hanging
out of the wound: which, within four or five days after, nature cast
forth, the thred as I say being fast tied; then presently I did take
a needle with a double strong silke thred waxed, wherewith I
did thrust thorow both mirach [skin, adipose layer and muscular
tissue] and ziphach [peritoneum] on the right side of the wound,
but on the left side of the wound I did put the needle but thorow
mirach only, and so tied these three fast together with a very strong
knot, and presently I did cut of the thred. . . . All which is
according to Weckers[1] and other learned men's opinions and practices,
who also say that the stitches of the one side must be higher
than on the other side. [The usual dressings were afterward
applied and were renewed three days later. At the end of twenty-one
days the wound was found to be completely healed.]
In chapter 27 of the same work there is given a list of
the medicaments and instruments with which a field- or
ship's-surgeon should be equipped before he engages in
active service. From this list I select the following items
as showing—at least in some measure—-in what respect the
tools employed by surgeons four hundred years ago differ
from the modern ones of a similar character: "Small and
long waxe candles to search the hollownesse or depth of a
wound." "Small buttons or cauterizing irons meete to stay
the flux of an artery or veine." "A trepan." "Needles
two or three, some eight inches, some ten or twelve inches
in length, having a decent eye in it guttered like a Spanish
- ↑ Johann Jacob Wecker (1528-1586), born at Basel, Switzerland, and author of a treatise entitled "Practica medicinae generalis" (Basel, 1585).
