Combat Wounds And Medication
Entry posted by Pertinax
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The scenario is , you are on patrol 135 AD (or thereabouts) , you are an experienced mounted Auxiliary trooper with 15years service under your belt including a couple of pitched battles and some skirmishing and policing scuffles.Youve picked up a leg wound whilst intercepting some customs dodgers just north of Hadrian's Wall, nasty gash from a spear into the muscle of the calf. You are trained to report in with wounds at the double as no one wants experienced men sitting around gossiping in the Fort hospital .Its late Autumn so the Medicus has no fresh medicines available , but he knows how to deal with the situation.
Firstly you have to hobble into the medical block, the wound will be cleaned out with lavender water (a strong solution , not a women's perfume!) , or some acetum. The Medicus will probe for any bone splinters whilst you take a very small dose of henbane, more to keep you still for his benefit than to stop any pain.If satisfied that there is a clean wound the medicus will put in a honey dressed bandage as a plug , if the wound site is deep enough.The wound will be lightly bound and possibly splinted.
The next phase is -as you have no antibiotics-what do we use a s medication to heal /expedite tissue growth and staunch any bleeding? Its late in the year so the Medicus has to get you a wine based medicine.
Perhaps it was made in this way:
Somewhere back in Southern Gaul a merchant has a substantial quantity of so-so wine that is ok for a rough gurgustum , but isnt up to the cost of supporting its own transportation despite the economies of shipborne bulk transport. However it is a sufficiently robust medium for a local army contractor to use it as a base for the maceration of herbal medicines.Now quite a lot of "approved" herbs are available , freshly cut in springtime and full of healthy growth and a full range of active chemical compounds.The contractor needs his slaves to macerate the herbs in controlled quantities , with certain proportions of wine, depending on the physical tissue of the herb.Amongst the fresh growths brought in is Yarrow herb well known as a medication for wounds or severe haemoragic bleeding. The slaves have a standard mixture to work at, after cleaning the plant and removing any discoloured leaves. In this instance the whole plant, roots included (if clean) can be used., as usual someone has the lousy job of chopping up a great stack of herb into a mass of bruised, moist tissue. Amphorae are just fine for mixing the wine and herb together, the main thing is that a ratio of 1 part herb to 5 of wine is maintained, the amphorae need to be in a cool cellar , just like a decent wine, and slaves must shake the container well morning and night for 14 days .If roots are in the mix its best to give it a 3 week maceration period.
http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...=si&img=827
After this time the mix has to be run off the residual dregs and re-bottled. The Amphorae can then be sealed and put into stock , leaving them in storage for a year (if waiting for the seafaring season) will be of no detriment.So the amphorae are part of a cargo bound for Brittania, one is delivered eventually by river skiff to Corbridge on the Wall after being broken from bulk store at South Shields.
The Medicus will break the seal of the amphora and after decanting a proportion for his own use will then consign further parts for other Fortlets "down the line".
So our wounded trooper presents himself and the Medicus instructs him as follows, "Here is a mixture of the Sacred Herb of the great Achilles , which as you know heals all wounds made by iron weapons , and to it I have added a small quantity of the local Brigantine "Borago", this as you know they drink before battle for the excellent reason that it heals tissue and gives courage, and Pliny himself spoke of its virtues". "Three tablespoons per day added to a good beer, and use a good honey on the sore itself, wash away any pus with acetum " "And no you cant have a sicknote for three weeks". Our man will at least think "hmm, could have done with three weeks with my feet up but at least this chap has quality medicines, certainly I know the Herb of Achilles and Borago I know from my old aunt who was in Aleppo where it was mixed with Lemon for a summer drink ".
http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...=si&img=461
The alkaloids and flavinoids in the Yarrow will heal the wound and if any is available as a dried herb a good bath suffused with it will reduce pain and inflammation.The Borage will strengteh the adrenal cortex (due to its linnoleic acid content), after shock and trauma, and the pyrrolizidine alkoloids will help the damaged flesh as well.
Not bad for a people with no germ theory, but excellent sanitation.
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