fig AMBROISE PARE 



pouring water from some high place into a cauldron, that 

 he may hear the sound of it; by which means sleep shall 

 be provoked on him. As for the contraction of his leg, there 

 is hope of righting it when we have let out the pus and other 

 humors pent up in the thigh, and have rubbed the whole knee 

 with ointment of mallows, and oil of lilies, and a little 

 eau-de-vie, and wrapped it in black wool with the grease left 

 in it; and if we put under the knee a feather pillow doubled, 

 little by little we shall straighten the leg. 



This my discourse was well approved by the physicians 

 and surgeons. 



The consultation ended, we went back to the patient, 

 and I made three openings in his thigh. . . . Two or 

 three hours later, I got a bed made near his old one, 

 with fair white sheets on it; then a strong man put him 

 in it, and he was thankful to be taken out of his foul 

 stinking bed. Soon after, he asked to sleep; which he 

 did for near four hours : and everybody in the house began 

 to feel happy, and especially M. le Due d' Ascot, his brother. 



The following days, I made injections, into the depth 

 and cavities of the ulcers, of ^Egyptiacum dissolved some- 

 times in eau-de-vie, other times in wine. I applied com- 

 presses to the bottom of the sinuous tracks, to cleanse and 

 dry the soft spongy flesh, and hollow leaden tents, that 

 the sanies might always have a way out; and above them 

 a large plaster of Diacalcitheos dissolved in wine. And I 

 bandaged him so skilfully that he had no pain; and when 

 the pain was gone, the fever began at once to abate. 

 Then I gave him wine to drink moderately tempered with 

 water, knowing it would restore and quicken the vital forces. 

 And all that we agreed in consultation was done in due time 

 and order; and so soon as his pains and fever ceased, he be- 

 gan steadily to amend. He dismissed two of his surgeons, and 

 one of his physicians, so that we were but three with him. 



Now I stopped there about two months, not without seeing 

 many patients, both rich and poor, who came to me from 

 three or four leagues round. He gave food and drink to 

 the needy, and commended them all to me, asking me to 

 help them for his sake. I protest I refused not one, and did 

 for them all I could, to his great pleasure. Then, when I 



