The surgeons mate or Military & domestique surgery Discouering faithfully & plainly ye method and order of ye surgeons chest, ye uses of the instruments, the vertues and operations of ye medicines, with ye exact cures of wounds made by gunshott, and otherwise as namely: wounds, apos fumes, ulcers, fistula's, fractures, dislocations, with ye most easie & safest wayes of amputation or dismembring. The cures of the scuruey, of ye fluxes of ye belly, of ye collicke and iliaca passio, of tenasmus and exitus ani, and of the calenture, with A treatise of ye cure of ye plague. Published for the service of his Ma. tie and of the com:wealth. By John Woodall Mr. in chyrurgerie.

Of the use of Probes of several siezes.

THe use of a Probe, can no way be forborn in the Surgeons Chest:* 1.1 for no Chirurgical work is well and artificially effected, without some occasion of the use thereof, more or lesse; as namely, oftentimes it* 1.2 is to be armed with dry soft lint, to cleanse a wound: sometimes again, as is aforesaid, armed with dry lint and dipped into some lotion, oyl, or liquor, therewith to mundifie, corrode, or heal the grief, according* 1.3 to the due occasion thereof, and will of the Artist: sometime to enquire the depth of a wound, ulcer, or fistula; in which work many times great wrong is done by unconscionable or ignorant Surgeons, to their* 1.4 Patients, by forcing too far the Probe, thereby to make the grief ap∣pear deeper, which I advise young Surgeons to make a conscience of: for by such abuse, the Patient is many times greatly indangered of his* 1.5 life. Further, some use the longer sort of Probes, with eyes like needles, in wounds that penetrate through a member▪ yea, some are so hardy* 1.6 they will put them through the Trunk of the body, the Patient being wounded through the body; all which I hold to be very idle; for cer∣tainly it must be both very painful, fearful, & dangerous to the Patient & the custome of such artists is to draw laune or a fine linnen cloth, be∣ing put into the eye of the Probe, (or stamule as some term it) and dip∣ped in some artificial balm, thorow the member; yea, and some are so wise in their own conceits, that they leave the said laun or linnen cloth in the wound from one dressing to another, which for my part I utter∣ly mislike, for I know in all wounds nature striveth to make unition of the parts divided, & whoso keepeth asunder the parts by such courses,

it shall repent him, except he be gracelesse. My self have had reason∣able experience in piercing wounds, both through the trunk of the body, and through the outward members, and have ever contented my self, in putting in to each orifice a short and easie tent, which I com∣monly make of emplastrum stipticum Paracelsi, or some other good plaister spread on a clout, and rolled gently tentwise, and so applyed dipped in Balm, the tent being but of half an inch or an inch long at the most: of which I never yet repented me, except a broken bone be to come out, and then I alter my intention according as the occa∣sion enforceth, with other answering and methodical courses due to healing being observed: which in their places (as time will permit) shall be touched God willing. No more at this time of the use of Probes.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Probes very needful.
• * 1.2

  The divers maner of their use.
• * 1.3

  The ends of their use.
• * 1.4

  Great danger in the ill use of the Probe.
• * 1.5

  The use of a long Probe.
• * 1.6

  To draw the Probe therow the body woun∣ded, is evil.