|
Ship's Surgeon
Amputates
1703
(1. Surgeon Name) John Ballett surgeon aboard the
(2.
Ship Name) Cinque
Ports operated in a small space below the gun deck where he tied
splints to fractured bones, raked out bullets embedded in flesh, stitched
gunshot wounds, treated burns with quinces and purslain, cracked
dislocations more or less back to place and amputated shattered feet and
hands.
Ballett thought it wise to amputate in the
mornings, but never at full moon. His dismenbering saws were kept
well-filed, clean and in oiled cloths to protect them from rust. He had an
assortment of knives, mallets, chisels and stitching needles, some strong
waxed thread, rolls of crude cotton and large bowls filled with ashes to
catch blood.
The amputee had to give consent and was told
that he might die. 'It is no small presumption to dismember the Image of
God.' Two strong men held the patient down. the instruments were kept from
his view. Ballett, 'with a steady hand and good speed, cut off Flesh,
Sinewes and all to the bone'. He left flaps of skin. He then sawed through
the bone, sewed the flaps, stemming the bleeding with cotton and propped
the stump up high with a pillow under it. There was a vessel for amputated
limbs 'till you have opportunity to heave them Overboard'.
Even if only the foot was crushed the surgeons
took off most of the leg, 'the Pain is all one, and it is most profitable
to the Patient, for a long Stumpe were but troublesom'. There were
dismembering nippers for amputating fingers and toes. |
