Thomas Gale’s description of this class of medical practitioners gives the best notion of their abilities. “I remember,” says he, “when I was in the wars at Montreuil, (1544,) in the time of that most famous Prince, Henry VIII., there was a great rabblement there, that took upon them to be surgeons. Some were sow gelders, and some horse gelders, with tinkers and cobblers. This noble sect did such great cures, that they got themselves a perpetual name; for like as Thessalus’ sect were called Thessalions, so was this noble rabblement, for their notorious cures, called dog-leaches; for in two dressings they did commonly make their cures whole and sound for ever, so that they neither felt heat nor cold, nor no manner of pain after. But when the Duke of Norfolk, who was then general, understood how the people did die, and that of small wounds, he sent for me and certain other surgeons, commanding us to make search how these men came to their death, whether it were by the grievousness of their wounds, or by the lack of knowledge of the surgeons, and we, according to our commandment, made search through all the camp, and found many of the same good fellows which took upon them the names of surgeons, not only the names, but the wages also. We asking of them whether they were surgeons or no, they said they were; we demanded with whom they were brought up, and they, with shameless faces, would answer, either with one cunning man, or another, which was dead. Then we demanded of them what chirurgery stuff they had to cure men withal; and they would show us a pot or a box, which they had in a budget, wherein was such trumpery as they did use to grease horses’ heels withal, and laid upon scabbed horses’ backs, with verval and such like. And others that were cobblers and tinkers, they used shoemakers’ wax, with the rust of old pans, and made therewithal a noble salve, as they did term it. But in the end this worthy rabblement was committed to the Marshalsea, and threatened by the Duke’s Grace to be hanged for their worthy deeds, except they would declare the truth, what they were and of what occupations, and in the end they did confess, as I have declared to you before.”
In another place Gale says, “I have, myself, in the time of King Henry VIII., holpe to furnish out of London, in one year, which served by sea and land, three score and twelve surgeons, which were good workmen, and well able to serve, and all English men. At this present day there are not thirty-four, of all the whole company, of Englishmen, and yet the most part of them be in noblemen’s service, so that if we should have need, I do not know where to find twelve sufficient men. What do I say? sufficient men: nay, I would there were ten amongst all the company, worthy to be called surgeons.”
[303] Klemzen, p. 255.
[304] Part I. cap. 8.
[305] Gruner, Script, p. 11.
[306] “Vix malevolorum cachinnos morsusque præteriit.” Schiller, Epist. nuncupator. the title which Gruner, Script. p. 12, gives to the original work, still existing in the library at Strasburg, and a Latin extract from it. Gratoroli, fol. 39.
[307] See the Catalogue in the Appendix, “Ein Regiment,” &c.
[308] Any kind of weak beer with the chill off. Warm beer was a beverage in general use in the north of Germany. The beer of Eimbeck and Bernau was stronger, and was recommended by medical men during the convalescence.
[309] “I had in my house seven lying ill with the same disease, of which, thank God, none died.” From the letter of an inhabitant of Hamburgh, given in the same pamphlet, “Ein Regiment,” &c.
[310] Gratorol. fol. 87. b.