"They don't let me use people..." absolutely cracked me up! Once upon a time I was a medical illustrator at the University of Chicago, portraying anatomy, surgery, pathology, and the like, and I found this video immensely interesting. Thanks again for another marvel! You are a treasure.
I was working on a farm in Perthshire, Scotland and I came across a beautiful chert tanged and barbed arrowhead just lying on a potato furrow in a field. Later I took it to a museum who aged it as probably 4,000 years old. Archery is a pretty long-standing part of human history!
Probably! These things are perfectly weighted and absolutely symmetrical in profile it really is astonishing how skilled our ancestors were at making stuff. I mean look at the iceman Otzi and his kit of survival equipment. @@thehistorysquad
Yes! his own soldiering experience clearly deepens his feel for the work & the ones who did it. He embodies the grim humor, and the recognition of the misery involved. This matter-of-fact approach to brutality, and to the experience of the ones in every age who have dealt it out, received it, and done their best to treat the wounds with what's available, in themselves, in their friends, & sometimes in their foes.
This was wonderful! As a nurse and having done historical reenactment (American revolutionary war - Scottish unit of the British Army), this just makes my historical heart happy. Fascinating stuff! I sometimes portrayed a camp follower which involved nursing the wounded and assisting with surgery. It was so much fun showing the jars of leeches and maggots and honey and vinegar....then the sharp and pointy instruments....Really, the only advance I see in modern medicine is the use of anesthesia!
Interesting to hear you talk about leaving arrows in. I was at a doctors surgery in Andover in the UK years ago, and an old soldier came out of the doctors room with a piece of shrapnel in a specimen jar. Apparently he’d taken the hit with the shrapnel in WW1 and it had taken until the early 1990’s to work it’s way out of the old soldiers body.
Amazing what the body will do. Nothing to that degree but I stepped on a nail at work and about 6-8 years later it started itching and about a week later I got a bit of cloth from the sock, some rubber from the shoe, and a piece of copper wire that holds nails together.
I used to race motorcycles, and have obviously crashed a few times. I've had glass and gravel come out years later. The closer to hard bone or gravity shelf. The fast it falls out. Chin, jaw, elbows pretty quickly. Knee, it follows down to the foot.
Oh yes, the first video I saw of you was a reenactment of the Henry V operation. What a masterpiece it was. It begs for a whole series on this topic, something more about wounds inflicted by medieval weapons or about known examples of surgical procedures from that time.
“They won’t let me use people” really cracked me up the slight disappointment also really loved the video entertaining and educational as always keep up the amazing work
I know right? It's very frowned upon for some reason. Here's my pitch for president of the world, "those facing capital punishment are available for all types of experimentation."
@@thehistorysquad Was really surpression of surgery the problem? What i have heard that church people wasnt allowed to touch blood ,touching blood was a more a thing for the wound doctors after what i heard!
@@killerkraut9179 From what I understand because of the church's distaste for touching blood, there was a separation where the church would treat disease and illness which was often believed to be a punishment from God, whereas your 'barber surgeon' would treat wounds and also minor surgery. If you look back to the Roman times, it was the barber, called the Tonsori who would cut your tonsils out.
Fascinating. My Dad, who served through WW2 and was wounded on three separate occasions, was still removing schrapnel or shell splinters from his lower legs right up to his death at 84!
Absolutely love these medical history episodes, Kevin. I must admit, I thought surgeons and doctors had absolutely no idea what they were doing back in the medieval days, but they were clearly still smart people trying to make the most educated decision possible. Trial and error I suppose... mostly error I'd expect.
There are so many herbal remedies I have learned that were passed down through the generations since medieval times and possibly even before then. My Polish grandmother used to give me honey with onions when I was sick. When I was stung by a wasp, she used a slice of onion to bring down the inflammation. We would also use chamomile, elderberries, valerian root, nettle, sage, and St. John's Wort among many other herbs. This wisdom helped our ancestors as much as it can help us even with modern medicine
Cut myself deep with my knife soem time ago and my mother stopped the bleeding almost instantly with onion skin and then she wrapped more onion skin along with a Bandaid and that's how a cut that should've taken 2 weeks healed in 1
Basically you can name any activity these days and see how it was worse in middle ages. I was impressed by mining museum - details being most didnt live above their thirties, died of pneumonia, cold and damp mines. No pumps, just people carrying water with lether bags all the way up. Mining done in horizontal crawl-shafts where you cant stand up. Just incredibly miserable.
Absolutely fascinating. Contrary to what I thought, medieval surgery was actually quite advanced for the time. Never underestimate the ingenuity of people.
It's true, don't underestimate people. We tend to look back at the past and laugh at how "stupid" they were, with the benefit of hindsight. But, we've always had the same brains, the only difference between us and them is we have all the knowledge we've gained from lifetimes of millions of people trying to figure everything out. We had to start at square one with everything.
Ehhh, that's debatable. You'd be surprised how "stupid" they were, I say that as a medical doctor today who learned about history of medicine. You might be shocked to find that no doctor in the world was smart enough to figure out that washing your hands after working on cadavers was a good idea, and they spread infection like that to mothers during birth, as well as newborns, causing a lot of infant deaths. In fact, the doctor that suggested that hand hygiene might be important and wanted doctors to disinfect their hands after touching bodily fluids, called Ignaz Semmelweis, was kicked out of a university hospital in Vienna, one of the top hospitals in the world, for suggesting that. He later died alone and sick because he was prosecuted and mocked his entire life for suggesting basic hygiene in hospitals. And guess when that was? 12th century? 15th? Nope, 19th century. Barely 150 years ago. Of course, they didn't really know much about infectious microorganisms then, but even just washing your hands so they're not visibly dirty and don't stick of blood, corpses, etc. SEEMS like a very obvious and reasonable thing to do. But nope, not to them. In fact, they mocked the idea of it. You'd be shocked to learn how little common sense and intelligence was used in medicine throughout most of the past. Surgery was very, very, very primitive, and therefore most often unsuccessful, and even basic surgical work most often ended in disaster.
ปีที่แล้ว +8
@@derbigpr500 OMG - I didn't realize how lucky I am. I was born in a hospital in Vienna. Maybe I went through a few reencarnations before they got it right 😁
I have known for some time about the methods of surgery and wound treatment all the way back to the Romans and beyond. There was a chance of receiving some decent treatment, but the real killer was the infections that followed. Even into the late 18th and early 19th centuries, infection was the big killer. Thanks for the video Kevin, you always find a way to make things interesting. Cheers from Texas.
When I was a schoolboy I saw you do this presentation at Chepstow castle (15 years ago) One of my friends fainted 😂. You were so engaging and exciting to listen to, so happy I have found you now on TH-cam.
Man thats so cool. I wish I could have seen that back in the day. Honestly this channel reminds me of the good days of History Channel and it really recaptures my interest in history
After 20 years in the operating theatre as a nurse, the basics are still in use. Keep the wound open, Irrigate with volumes of sterile or boiled fluid and then let it heal from the inside out. Change dressings daily and keep food and fluids up and use any anti biotic you have. Allow the wound to drain and re-irrigate if infected. But I wouldn’t think that sticking a knife into the wound would help on any way.
Fascinating video, thank you! I’d love to know how the ancient Mesopotamians dealt with this. I managed to burn my hand really badly a few years back and was treated by doctors from the DRC. The burn was infected and although antibiotics cleared most of it, there was a stubborn patch that just wouldn't heal. They applied honey - and it worked. But the trick with honey they taught me is not to pour it liberally, but to dab in small amounts. The other problem with honey is that it causes thick/hard scabs, and wounds heal better with reduced scarring if they are kept moist. Another item that was unbelievably helpful, though not available in Europe in those days, was papaya. It is absolutely incredible for wound cleaning and healing in warm climates. I used it to clean the burn by mushing up the ripe fruit and applying a poultice. After about 30-40 minutes the outside of the fruit had dried and hardened, forming a protective layer, whilst the inside remained soft. It's a meat tenderiser which helps to clean the wound, and although it was a little painful to remove, it took all of the dead skin with it. Changing that each day kept the wound clean, kept out infection and kept it moist so that it wouldn't scar so badly. But honey is magnificent when applied in small amounts. Too much and it can cause irritation and complications.
Yayyy! A new video! Kev always seems like a lovely gentleman to be a friend of, and his wealth of knowledge would somehow always be able to inform virtually any conversion you had with him . Cheers Kevin, and blessings to you. 😁
A very enjoyable video. I am a retired Registered Nurse. What a great medical history lesson. Many thanks. I had a fair idea naturally as it’s been my profession but to have this account, exposed the whole world of the tools of war and the types of injuries sustained. As well as treatment. I have long known about the medicinal benefits of honey. I was very impressed with this video. And you did observe the golden rule of adding the humour into Education and when applied correctly the way you did, it is brilliant. Learned a great deal today. Had fun and very grateful. Cheers Colin
I like how you videos always include so much detail. For example in your battle of Agincourt video, you stated how each English soldier was told to cut a stick his height and sharpen it! Watching your videos is really one of the biggest reasons why I’ve gotten into medieval armor and history. Thanks, and keep up the good work!
Brilliant,realistic video of medieval surgery. Your authentic clothing & stained dummy hand really get the message across.Thanks for this very useful surgical historical knowledge.
These videos are great! Awesome to see the resemblance from warfare hundreds of years ago to modern day and hearing of the incredible/unbelievable things our ancestors had to go through!
Randomly came across this video in my recommendations. It’s the first I’ve watched on this channel, but the topic is very intriguing and I enjoy the presenter’s personality and method of presentation. Really got me thinking…. I cannot fathom the agony these soldiers experienced and it’s surprising how much they could do medically with their technology and knowledge at the time.
This guy is awesome! Glad to see you still making these medieval videos. It’s clear he loves doing it and he fits so well in the Medieval English role.
You had that video about Henry V's arrowhead. I knew the normal removal couldn't be the same and I have been intensely curious. So glad you decided to address this.
What’s so amazing is that this is actually real ingenuity. It’s just hard to appreciate from the perspective of a person who can conceive of inventions that they couldn’t in their time due to limited resources.
I once had my face ripped open such that you could see my teeth through my cheek and lips. I got to the nearest hospital in about half an hour. Thanks to adrenaline the most pain I felt was actually the local anesthetic before the plastic surgeon put my face back together! Surely it's been a noticed effect since people were around to notice it. Medieval surgeons probably worked quickly to take advantage and spare the wounded as much pain as possible.
@@lemons1559 exactly! Even going back thousands of years it's clear that there were people around who knew their shit (and a few who didn't know shit) just like today.
Scrolling and watching your content. I really loved the information given by you sir! These must be taught us in history classes! Thank you for these informational videos with demonstration. ❤
Sir, your videos are always a treat. Some of the best stuff on TH-cam. These videos make history seem somehow more brutal than the movies, but also much more human. Thank you for showing all sorts of different stuff on this channel!
This channel is indescribably valuable, there are not a ton of people who still talk about these times, and when they do all you hear about is the Roman and the famous battles. I’m someone who loves to learn all types of History, specifically WW1 & WW2 but recently began taking an interest in the history of the medieval period and before, it’s truly fascinating to think about. But this particular niche, a combination of Historical retelling but also Medical History is truly incredible, well done sir. Cheers from Florida, United States.
It's hard not to take things like antibiotics for granted nowadays because of how effective they are at treating an infection. As if surviving an incredibly painful wound you could expect to get on a Medieval battlefield wasn't horrible enough, then you had to worry about it getting infected and finishing you off days/weeks later.
Greetings, Sir. I'd been shot in combat once in the leg. I am so glad I was not on a Mediaeval battlefield. Thanks for this video, and as always, I learned much from it.
When I was a child, just has the NHS in Britain was getting started, people still relied on the local healers, I had an abscess on my knee the size if a golf ball so my mother took me to a local healer to lance, drain and dress the wound with a sugar and soap poultice. It worked, I never got a infection and it healed up perfectly.
Really loved this video. I had been studying Medieval medical theory before but hadn’t gotten past the practice of the village wise woman or local barber surgeon. Miasma theory is also an interesting one to explain to people; how do bad smells make you sick? The best example I came up with was when you have an old mankey cutting board, it’s gone black where it’s been cut and smells just awful. What we know today is it’s bacteria that’s causing that awful smell, but if you didn’t know germ theory then it would be an easy conclusion to come to that the bad smell coming off something rotten would make you sick. Now when you go to clean that cutting board, you rub salt into the grain and now that smell is gone, salt must be magical or holy to get rid of evil smells, at least that’s what you would think in the Middles Ages, though we know know is the salt has killed the bacteria. I’m really interested in researching more of Muslims surgery and medical techniques, if I recall correctly the physicians of Baghdad around the time of the Crusades were even making strides in mental health using an early form of music therapy.
Holy cow! What a fantastic video. History, storytelling, practical illustrations and demos that were applied in a practical manner. Thank you!! This video was a real treat.
Possibly 3 arrows in his body 2 of which are in his face and he still punched 2 teeth out? What a right badass that guy was! Thanks for the video as always Mr. Hicks and good day. 😁
I was sooo happy to find this. I watched your original arrow removal video and was fascinated by it. You would think there would be vast amounts of information/demonstrations on medical techniques from WW1, Civil War, Revolutionary War, Middle Ages etc etc, but theres really not much besides 30 second clips on amputation. Hope to see more, thank you!👌🏼
my great grandad was a prisoner of war after the germans found him. his legs were peppered by shrapnel from a grenade. he lived into his 90s with most of the shrapnel still in place. the human body is an amazing thing.
I just commented about a similar situation with my grandfather! He was shot by Nazis and the bullet lodged next to his heart. They opted to leave it in. He lived into his 70s, bullet included. It didn’t even move any of the times he got struck by lightning
Wow Kevin! Those are BRUTAL 😢 one could imagine the logistics gone to make these battles happen, then deal with the consequences. I tended to think that a medieval arrowhead wound was a certain fatality. Thank you for educating us ❤❤❤
As a time travelling crusader, I can personally confirm that this is how arrows are removed Thanks for the vid Kevin! Always a joy watching your stuff!
This is actually very useful even for modern battlefields wounds. At least,the concept is the same,and our anatomy hasn't changed in couple of thousand years.
You are an excellent instructor! I appreciate your ability to lay out the facts and make it interesting. I had to pack my wife’s toe with gauze ( leaving her 1inch wound open) and eventually it magically healed!!
really have to give creds to the blacksmith screw and tong setup for the kings wound, that was ingenious and so well crafted, and hello from Alberta again sir. Love your content.
Super interesting! It amazes me just how fascinating military medical matters are to the general public. In USA, I know of two different American Civil War re-enactors who have their own authentic wagons filled with antique surgical tools and medicine chests. In both St. Augustine, FL and Gettysburg, PA, the medical museums are always on everyone's itineraries. This was a excellent presentation. You are a very talented presenter. Thank you!
Great video as usual Kevin. Really makes you think about the horrors of war, the injuries soldiers might have to have endured in the past and the creativity and ingenuity of field surgeons. Thank you.
I never knew I'd enjoyed this 21 min of information. Love the way you explain things very articulate. Field medic skill and historically accurate knowledge. Salute. And you earn a subscriber.
That was an excellent video, I really learnt a lot from this video that I didn’t know. I love the videos with demonstrations like this, it helps me imagine what the scenario would have been like. It would have been soo grim having to deal with an arrow wound! Great work as always
Oh boy, I was cringing hard from the mounted crossbow through the....skull complications...incredible that somebody was able to survive that. Thank you for sharing this knowledge!
Hi Kevin, thanks for doing another medical video. It was so interesting. Removing the arrow via crossbow was amazing. A WW1 medical video would be nice or 18 hundreds.
I've just found my new favourite channel. Please realise that in the mad Max world to very soon come, I will be able to help many people who will experience very similar injuries thanks to this extraordinary and extremely valuable information. You sir, are a true lifesaver
15 years ago you made that video? Awesome. I just watched it the other day, that's how I found this channel, which is quickly becoming a favorite of mine. Thank you for making such wonderful videos. I appreciate you.
I do wish back when i was at school they delivered history like this. Its fascinating now and i think allot more of us would have found it fascinating back then in school too.
That's the problem with our schools. They take absolutely fascinating subjects and they manage to reduce them to the driest most boring yarns you could think of, delivered by deeply uninteresting teachers. They kill education.
The only information I remember from high school history, which I studied for hours every week because the teacher was a maniac, is our town was burnt down in 1468. I only remember it because I drew flames around the number.
WHAAAAT?!?!!! That retraction device for Hal V is cRaZY. I'm so impressed with this man's knowledge and enthusiasm. Just watched the secrets of a Tudor manner house and now I'm subbing. Metaphorically shoving popcorn in my face.
This was awesome, and may I say, I'm impressed actually of their innovations to solve the medical problems of the time - they did know what they were doing (for the most part), and apparently did it well. I do feel that pain management should have been a lot higher on their list of priorities though.
Love seeing a new video pop up from you, Kevin! As always, very informative and excellent to watch. I have the surgeons's kit, as I also do stuff to do with medieval medicine (mainly to do with arrowhead removal and the like). I got a head off Amazon, neighbours wondered what I was doing as they passed by and saw it in my workbench and me drilling holes in it! :D Looking forward to your video on horses, sounds intriguing.
This is a stunningly informative and entertaining video. Thank you. Hollywood should use you as an expert consultant and incorporate this into a movie. It would make for some very memorable scenes.
Awesome video, loved how you showed a native arrow head in the beginning, im mi’kmaq from canada, sometimes you can find arrow heads by water n rivers here in nova scotia
Modern medicine is rediscovering old medications. "Bald's Leechbook" (also known as Medicinale Anglicum) is a medical text from the 9th century which was discovered in Royal British Library a couple of years ago. The recipes are tested with partly astonishing results. One of them against infections even seems to be effective against multi resistant pathogens.
"Just take the pain" sums it up perfectly, especially in those days when any kind of pain reducer outside of alcohol was alien to these people they just dealt with it. In that situation you know that surgeon is your only chance of survival so you just take it.
If trade was decent, there was opium too. God thought about our needs from the beginning. There are also other herbal pain relievers like wild opium lettuce which grows everywhere, and I'm sure some others. They could make vile tasting tinctures, but alcohol was probably the strongest and sensory aside from opium.
Your videos are ALWAYS a treat. I subscibed to you ever since I saw your first arrowhead removal video and I really do enjoy your style of narration, making even dull topics fascinating. You are quite an interesting character too. Keep it up. :)
This popped up in my suggestions and I thought I’ll watch a minute, well, watched the whole thing. Absolutely fascinating and terrifying at the same time.
He is the history teacher we all wanted. I loved history so a paving slab could've taught me and I would've still been captivated. If the subject was taught by this chap to all those history haters, I wonder if his enthusiasm would've at least peaked an interest in those who otherwise slept through history lessons?
Sitting here with an arrow lodged in my chest, trying to DIY the removal. This channel is literally a lifesaver.
🤣
I find it very interesting. When they talk about the good old days I wonder if this is what they mean
Yoooo!!! 🫠
I used to be an adventurer like you until I took an arrow to the knee.
@@Travybear1989 omg I ruined my knee and it kept me from being a fighter pilot. And also because I kept throwing up in my helmet
It's so sweet this man time traveled from the middle ages to teach us these things.
😜
She has a blood on him to show
I would very much like to see a video about First Nations arrowhead removal, surgery!
@@thehistorysquad some medeval background music would be cool just a thought.
@@thehistorysquad wait does that confirm that you did time travel?
Dude, this guy kills it. All that information, all unscripted and super long takes.
Just a Man, showing us about his passion. So great....
Cheers mate 👍🏻
He's great! I'm sure he was a good police officer, but he should have been a history teacher!
I'd hope a surgeon doesn't kill it
"They don't let me use people..." absolutely cracked me up! Once upon a time I was a medical illustrator at the University of Chicago, portraying anatomy, surgery, pathology, and the like, and I found this video immensely interesting. Thanks again for another marvel! You are a treasure.
Haha, thanks very much 👍🏻
Jesus 🤦♂️ it wasn't _that_ funny
@@gxlorp you must be such fun at parties
@@gxlorpwho threw nuts at you?
@@foxenandfamily5060no, just not every hollers out laughing going HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH at the simplest shit. Yeah?
This gentleman is so entertaining. I fell asleep to his stories and woke up, grabbed a coffee, and started watching again. What an absolute gem he is!
I was working on a farm in Perthshire, Scotland and I came across a beautiful chert tanged and barbed arrowhead just lying on a potato furrow in a field. Later I took it to a museum who aged it as probably 4,000 years old. Archery is a pretty long-standing part of human history!
Indeed! An amazing find.
So 4000 years ago someone was mighty pissed at not finding that arrow...
😂@@michaelpettersson4919
Probably! These things are perfectly weighted and absolutely symmetrical in profile it really is astonishing how skilled our ancestors were at making stuff. I mean look at the iceman Otzi and his kit of survival equipment.
@@thehistorysquad
I imagine they were! I can visualise they hit a boar or deer which took off and the arrowhead was gone...until I showed up.
@@michaelpettersson4919
Kev is a perfect example of what I believe a medieval doc who really loves his job would act like
Yes! his own soldiering experience clearly deepens his feel for the work & the ones who did it. He embodies the grim humor, and the recognition of the misery involved. This matter-of-fact approach to brutality, and to the experience of the ones in every age who have dealt it out, received it, and done their best to treat the wounds with what's available, in themselves, in their friends, & sometimes in their foes.
And look like
Has a v "medieval"style face if that doesn't sound too weird lol 🇬🇧🍷xx
A career milestone: A patient actually survives!
The detail, props, and historical records/accounts make this such an incredible viewing experience. Thank you History Squad!
He was the same with details at Warwick castle i always enjoyed listening whilst i worked there.
This was wonderful! As a nurse and having done historical reenactment (American revolutionary war - Scottish unit of the British Army), this just makes my historical heart happy. Fascinating stuff! I sometimes portrayed a camp follower which involved nursing the wounded and assisting with surgery. It was so much fun showing the jars of leeches and maggots and honey and vinegar....then the sharp and pointy instruments....Really, the only advance I see in modern medicine is the use of anesthesia!
Interesting to hear you talk about leaving arrows in. I was at a doctors surgery in Andover in the UK years ago, and an old soldier came out of the doctors room with a piece of shrapnel in a specimen jar. Apparently he’d taken the hit with the shrapnel in WW1 and it had taken until the early 1990’s to work it’s way out of the old soldiers body.
Wow, yes I've heard of that too.
Hope it wasn't up his jacksie lol
My Grandfather claimed similar about my Great Grandfather in the many years after WWI
Amazing what the body will do. Nothing to that degree but I stepped on a nail at work and about 6-8 years later it started itching and about a week later I got a bit of cloth from the sock, some rubber from the shoe, and a piece of copper wire that holds nails together.
I used to race motorcycles, and have obviously crashed a few times. I've had glass and gravel come out years later.
The closer to hard bone or gravity shelf. The fast it falls out. Chin, jaw, elbows pretty quickly. Knee, it follows down to the foot.
Oh yes, the first video I saw of you was a reenactment of the Henry V operation. What a masterpiece it was. It begs for a whole series on this topic, something more about wounds inflicted by medieval weapons or about known examples of surgical procedures from that time.
I am looking into doing some more on the subject so stand by
“Diagnosis: He’s got an arrow in his head.”
@@thehistorysquad you are my herooo
@@thehistorysquad absolutely appreciate this type of history. Thank you.
@@patrickstewart3446 I used to be a commentor like you, then I took an arrow in the head... :)
This man put all his points into charisma.
“They won’t let me use people” really cracked me up the slight disappointment also really loved the video entertaining and educational as always keep up the amazing work
Thank you so much!!
I know right? It's very frowned upon for some reason. Here's my pitch for president of the world, "those facing capital punishment are available for all types of experimentation."
That was funny im still laughing at that one.
@@thehistorysquad Was really surpression of surgery the problem?
What i have heard that church people wasnt allowed to touch blood ,touching blood was a more a thing for the wound doctors after what i heard!
@@killerkraut9179 From what I understand because of the church's distaste for touching blood, there was a separation where the church would treat disease and illness which was often believed to be a punishment from God, whereas your 'barber surgeon' would treat wounds and also minor surgery. If you look back to the Roman times, it was the barber, called the Tonsori who would cut your tonsils out.
Fascinating. My Dad, who served through WW2 and was wounded on three separate occasions, was still removing schrapnel or shell splinters from his lower legs right up to his death at 84!
Means didn't get the point
Long lasting souvenirs lol
Some people just don’t stop kicking. Bless your dad
Same thing with my grandfather. B17 copilot shot down by flack. Years later he was pulling old schrapnel out of his legs
My grandpa's b24 was taken down over France, besides bullet wounds he had metal shrapnel lodged in his legs and arms.
I was a soldier in the 80's and it's good to know they were right about how to treat wounds in the field! Thank you!
1080's?
@@davidelectrictreadmillguy "in the 80's "
@@user-ko3vg7fc7o it was a joke sorry, thank you for your service
Absolutely love these medical history episodes, Kevin. I must admit, I thought surgeons and doctors had absolutely no idea what they were doing back in the medieval days, but they were clearly still smart people trying to make the most educated decision possible. Trial and error I suppose... mostly error I'd expect.
Leeches weren't the best solution used for most cases . .
They probably practiced a lot on pigs.
Trial and error is hie everything is figured out
Dont be a scientologist
My jaw literally dropped when you showed the crossbow illustration. That is horrific and kind of hilarious in a morbid sort of way. Pretty clever too.
There are so many herbal remedies I have learned that were passed down through the generations since medieval times and possibly even before then. My Polish grandmother used to give me honey with onions when I was sick. When I was stung by a wasp, she used a slice of onion to bring down the inflammation. We would also use chamomile, elderberries, valerian root, nettle, sage, and St. John's Wort among many other herbs. This wisdom helped our ancestors as much as it can help us even with modern medicine
Cut myself deep with my knife soem time ago and my mother stopped the bleeding almost instantly with onion skin and then she wrapped more onion skin along with a Bandaid and that's how a cut that should've taken 2 weeks healed in 1
My Scot/Irish grandmother did the same with us.
A 20 minute medieval lesson!? Treating us well, Kev! Keep up the good work!
Cheers Jack, will do.
I just discovered this fellow. Man with passion and this grin when talking about about all this wounds. True military field doctor.
Thanks, welcome to the channel 👍🏻
There were no people in Scotland 2000 BC.
@@tomwalker389
Uuuh... yes. Yes, there were. The Picts did not just pop out a few years before the Romans came, after all.
@@tomwalker389 The Callanish Stones are over 5,000 year old. Somebody had to erect them
Aliens
@@Draefend
The more I learn about medieval times the more I appreciate how good we all have it
Basically you can name any activity these days and see how it was worse in middle ages. I was impressed by mining museum - details being most didnt live above their thirties, died of pneumonia, cold and damp mines. No pumps, just people carrying water with lether bags all the way up. Mining done in horizontal crawl-shafts where you cant stand up. Just incredibly miserable.
Modern weapons are far more lethal and if you are not evacuated you would suffer worse i think.
@@czr7j9 But body armour is better. Wounds which would have killed someone in WW2 or Viet Nam now result in a limbless torso. Is that better or worse?
In 500 years people will be saying the same about us, imagine living in a time where people died of cancer they will be thinking.
Zakly
Absolutely fascinating. Contrary to what I thought, medieval surgery was actually quite advanced for the time. Never underestimate the ingenuity of people.
It's true, don't underestimate people. We tend to look back at the past and laugh at how "stupid" they were, with the benefit of hindsight. But, we've always had the same brains, the only difference between us and them is we have all the knowledge we've gained from lifetimes of millions of people trying to figure everything out. We had to start at square one with everything.
Fun fact: Thinking people in the past were dumb, means you're dumber than what you thought they were.
Ehhh, that's debatable. You'd be surprised how "stupid" they were, I say that as a medical doctor today who learned about history of medicine. You might be shocked to find that no doctor in the world was smart enough to figure out that washing your hands after working on cadavers was a good idea, and they spread infection like that to mothers during birth, as well as newborns, causing a lot of infant deaths. In fact, the doctor that suggested that hand hygiene might be important and wanted doctors to disinfect their hands after touching bodily fluids, called Ignaz Semmelweis, was kicked out of a university hospital in Vienna, one of the top hospitals in the world, for suggesting that. He later died alone and sick because he was prosecuted and mocked his entire life for suggesting basic hygiene in hospitals. And guess when that was? 12th century? 15th? Nope, 19th century. Barely 150 years ago. Of course, they didn't really know much about infectious microorganisms then, but even just washing your hands so they're not visibly dirty and don't stick of blood, corpses, etc. SEEMS like a very obvious and reasonable thing to do. But nope, not to them. In fact, they mocked the idea of it.
You'd be shocked to learn how little common sense and intelligence was used in medicine throughout most of the past. Surgery was very, very, very primitive, and therefore most often unsuccessful, and even basic surgical work most often ended in disaster.
@@derbigpr500 OMG - I didn't realize how lucky I am. I was born in a hospital in Vienna. Maybe I went through a few reencarnations before they got it right 😁
Necessity is the mother of invention... Also, they had a LOT of people to practice on!
I have known for some time about the methods of surgery and wound treatment all the way back to the Romans and beyond. There was a chance of receiving some decent treatment, but the real killer was the infections that followed. Even into the late 18th and early 19th centuries, infection was the big killer. Thanks for the video Kevin, you always find a way to make things interesting. Cheers from Texas.
Cheers David, thanks for watching 👍🏻
@@thehistorysquad Also cheers from Texas [2]. The content always remains interesting and well-conveyed.
They also lacked pure oxygen that vastly aids recovery, Infact without it modern surgery would not be possible.
I have a new addiction and its these kinds of videos. Medieval tutorials are fascinating!
When I was a schoolboy I saw you do this presentation at Chepstow castle (15 years ago) One of my friends fainted 😂. You were so engaging and exciting to listen to, so happy I have found you now on TH-cam.
Ah yes, I have had a few feint over the years haha, nice to meet you again!
Man thats so cool. I wish I could have seen that back in the day. Honestly this channel reminds me of the good days of History Channel and it really recaptures my interest in history
After 20 years in the operating theatre as a nurse, the basics are still in use. Keep the wound open, Irrigate with volumes of sterile or boiled fluid and then let it heal from the inside out. Change dressings daily and keep food and fluids up and use any anti biotic you have. Allow the wound to drain and re-irrigate if infected. But I wouldn’t think that sticking a knife into the wound would help on any way.
Fascinating video, thank you! I’d love to know how the ancient Mesopotamians dealt with this. I managed to burn my hand really badly a few years back and was treated by doctors from the DRC. The burn was infected and although antibiotics cleared most of it, there was a stubborn patch that just wouldn't heal. They applied honey - and it worked. But the trick with honey they taught me is not to pour it liberally, but to dab in small amounts. The other problem with honey is that it causes thick/hard scabs, and wounds heal better with reduced scarring if they are kept moist. Another item that was unbelievably helpful, though not available in Europe in those days, was papaya. It is absolutely incredible for wound cleaning and healing in warm climates. I used it to clean the burn by mushing up the ripe fruit and applying a poultice. After about 30-40 minutes the outside of the fruit had dried and hardened, forming a protective layer, whilst the inside remained soft. It's a meat tenderiser which helps to clean the wound, and although it was a little painful to remove, it took all of the dead skin with it. Changing that each day kept the wound clean, kept out infection and kept it moist so that it wouldn't scar so badly. But honey is magnificent when applied in small amounts. Too much and it can cause irritation and complications.
A great insight to the benefits of honey, thanks 👍🏻
That is why I love / respect bees. Wonderful creatures.
Yayyy! A new video! Kev always seems like a lovely gentleman to be a friend of, and his wealth of knowledge would somehow always be able to inform virtually any conversion you had with him . Cheers Kevin, and blessings to you. 😁
That's so kind of you, thanks!
I know right? A conversation you could have for hours.
Imagine surviving a medieval battle with an arrow stuck in your leg and the surgeon pulls out a crossbow
Friendly fire 🔥
Only slightly better than a hacksaw
Imagine being burned alive by the roman hierarchy because you wouldn't believe that Jesus is a piece of bread.
Imagine being lanced in a joust and a Knight on his horse was pulled out.
@@repentofidols Amen
A very enjoyable video. I am a retired Registered Nurse. What a great medical history lesson. Many thanks. I had a fair idea naturally as it’s been my profession but to have this account, exposed the whole world of the tools of war and the types of injuries sustained. As well as treatment. I have long known about the medicinal benefits of honey. I was very impressed with this video. And you did observe the golden rule of adding the humour into Education and when applied correctly the way you did, it is brilliant. Learned a great deal today. Had fun and very grateful. Cheers Colin
Thanks Colin for your very kind comment, I'm glad you enjoyed this video, I'm hoping to do more 👍🏻
I like how you videos always include so much detail. For example in your battle of Agincourt video, you stated how each English soldier was told to cut a stick his height and sharpen it! Watching your videos is really one of the biggest reasons why I’ve gotten into medieval armor and history.
Thanks, and keep up the good work!
Our pleasure, thanks for watching 👍🏻
The videos that combine medieval history and medicine are my favorite ones. It’s so fascinating!
Brilliant,realistic video of medieval surgery. Your authentic clothing & stained dummy hand really get the message across.Thanks for this very useful surgical historical knowledge.
As an old Army combat medic, thank you for sharing this knowledge.
I have an Army medic to thank for saving my eye, never knew his name but am forever grateful 👍🏻
These videos are great! Awesome to see the resemblance from warfare hundreds of years ago to modern day and hearing of the incredible/unbelievable things our ancestors had to go through!
Randomly came across this video in my recommendations. It’s the first I’ve watched on this channel, but the topic is very intriguing and I enjoy the presenter’s personality and method of presentation. Really got me thinking…. I cannot fathom the agony these soldiers experienced and it’s surprising how much they could do medically with their technology and knowledge at the time.
Hi there, thanks for watching and welcome to the channel, I hope you'll enjoy some of our other vids 👍🏻
This guy is awesome! Glad to see you still making these medieval videos. It’s clear he loves doing it and he fits so well in the Medieval English role.
Thanks very much! I do love doing this and am glad you like the videos!
You had that video about Henry V's arrowhead. I knew the normal removal couldn't be the same and I have been intensely curious. So glad you decided to address this.
Glad I could help!
What’s so amazing is that this is actually real ingenuity. It’s just hard to appreciate from the perspective of a person who can conceive of inventions that they couldn’t in their time due to limited resources.
Unbelievable - amazing how advanced the medics were all that long ago. Thank you so much.
I once had my face ripped open such that you could see my teeth through my cheek and lips. I got to the nearest hospital in about half an hour. Thanks to adrenaline the most pain I felt was actually the local anesthetic before the plastic surgeon put my face back together! Surely it's been a noticed effect since people were around to notice it. Medieval surgeons probably worked quickly to take advantage and spare the wounded as much pain as possible.
It would be wise to keep a healthy dose of skepticism when it comes to ancient stories.
@@patjohnson1395 it's also wise to assume they notice the same things we do. While they may not be scientific, they're not stupid.
@@lemons1559 exactly! Even going back thousands of years it's clear that there were people around who knew their shit (and a few who didn't know shit) just like today.
Scrolling and watching your content. I really loved the information given by you sir! These must be taught us in history classes!
Thank you for these informational videos with demonstration. ❤
I’m glad you’re enjoying them, thanks 👍
Sir, your videos are always a treat. Some of the best stuff on TH-cam. These videos make history seem somehow more brutal than the movies, but also much more human. Thank you for showing all sorts of different stuff on this channel!
You're most welcome 👍🏻
The medical side of medieval history interests me I love when you do these videos. Keep up the wonderful work!
Thanks Drew, there should be more to come. 👍🏻
This channel is indescribably valuable, there are not a ton of people who still talk about these times, and when they do all you hear about is the Roman and the famous battles. I’m someone who loves to learn all types of History, specifically WW1 & WW2 but recently began taking an interest in the history of the medieval period and before, it’s truly fascinating to think about. But this particular niche, a combination of Historical retelling but also Medical History is truly incredible, well done sir.
Cheers from Florida, United States.
I’m glad you’re enjoying it, thanks 👍
It's hard not to take things like antibiotics for granted nowadays because of how effective they are at treating an infection. As if surviving an incredibly painful wound you could expect to get on a Medieval battlefield wasn't horrible enough, then you had to worry about it getting infected and finishing you off days/weeks later.
@DonnellOkafor True, but back in those times they at least had alcohol to drink and dull the pain for a bit lol
@@YouOnlyIiveTwiceor the infamous wooden club to the head
Greetings, Sir. I'd been shot in combat once in the leg. I am so glad I was not on a Mediaeval battlefield. Thanks for this video, and as always, I learned much from it.
Thank you for your service.
When I was a child, just has the NHS in Britain was getting started, people still relied on the local healers, I had an abscess on my knee the size if a golf ball so my mother took me to a local healer to lance, drain and dress the wound with a sugar and soap poultice. It worked, I never got a infection and it healed up perfectly.
Really loved this video. I had been studying Medieval medical theory before but hadn’t gotten past the practice of the village wise woman or local barber surgeon. Miasma theory is also an interesting one to explain to people; how do bad smells make you sick? The best example I came up with was when you have an old mankey cutting board, it’s gone black where it’s been cut and smells just awful. What we know today is it’s bacteria that’s causing that awful smell, but if you didn’t know germ theory then it would be an easy conclusion to come to that the bad smell coming off something rotten would make you sick. Now when you go to clean that cutting board, you rub salt into the grain and now that smell is gone, salt must be magical or holy to get rid of evil smells, at least that’s what you would think in the Middles Ages, though we know know is the salt has killed the bacteria. I’m really interested in researching more of Muslims surgery and medical techniques, if I recall correctly the physicians of Baghdad around the time of the Crusades were even making strides in mental health using an early form of music therapy.
Thanks for watching Jodie. I hope to touch on the topic of miasma in a video in the near future, so stand by 👍🏻
The passion and joy this man has for sharing knowledge is so infectious I love this channel it’s so informative and the demonstrations are great!
It's really impressive that they're able to recreate how TH-cam videos / channels looked in the medieval period.
yea i dig the chirugeon costume
Holy cow! What a fantastic video. History, storytelling, practical illustrations and demos that were applied in a practical manner. Thank you!! This video was a real treat.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Can’t go wrong with Kevin always appreciate his knowledge of history
Possibly 3 arrows in his body 2 of which are in his face and he still punched 2 teeth out? What a right badass that guy was! Thanks for the video as always Mr. Hicks and good day. 😁
I was sooo happy to find this. I watched your original arrow removal video and was fascinated by it. You would think there would be vast amounts of information/demonstrations on medical techniques from WW1, Civil War, Revolutionary War, Middle Ages etc etc, but theres really not much besides 30 second clips on amputation. Hope to see more, thank you!👌🏼
For sure, it's on the cards, thanks!
my great grandad was a prisoner of war after the germans found him. his legs were peppered by shrapnel from a grenade. he lived into his 90s with most of the shrapnel still in place. the human body is an amazing thing.
I just commented about a similar situation with my grandfather! He was shot by Nazis and the bullet lodged next to his heart. They opted to leave it in. He lived into his 70s, bullet included. It didn’t even move any of the times he got struck by lightning
Another interesting video. My eyes are glued to the screen. I learned something as well. I didn’t know honey helped with infection. Thanks again! 🌺🌺
Wow Kevin! Those are BRUTAL 😢 one could imagine the logistics gone to make these battles happen, then deal with the consequences. I tended to think that a medieval arrowhead wound was a certain fatality. Thank you for educating us ❤❤❤
you may survive the piercing, but the infections, those i bet it was like lottery, only lucky survived
We missed your videos! Loved the first video about Henry V, loved this one as well
As a time travelling crusader, I can personally confirm that this is how arrows are removed
Thanks for the vid Kevin! Always a joy watching your stuff!
Cheers buddy!
This is actually very useful even for modern battlefields wounds.
At least,the concept is the same,and our anatomy hasn't changed in couple of thousand years.
cept we got fatter.
"They don't let me use people."
Well said, Mr. Hicks.
Excellent videos as usual Kevin keep them coming.
Thanks, will do!
Great video as always.
You are an excellent instructor! I appreciate your ability to lay out the facts and make it interesting. I had to pack my wife’s toe with gauze ( leaving her 1inch wound open) and eventually it magically healed!!
really have to give creds to the blacksmith screw and tong setup for the kings wound, that was ingenious and so well crafted, and hello from Alberta again sir. Love your content.
👍🏻 cheers Greg.
Hope you’re doing well Kevin :)
I am Dylan, thank you.
Super interesting! It amazes me just how fascinating military medical matters are to the general public. In USA, I know of two different American Civil War re-enactors who have their own authentic wagons filled with antique surgical tools and medicine chests. In both St. Augustine, FL and Gettysburg, PA, the medical museums are always on everyone's itineraries. This was a excellent presentation. You are a very talented presenter. Thank you!
Thanks Randall. If I ever find myself in FL or PA, I'll seek those museums out, as you say, it's quite fascinating 👍🏻
Did they use bows and arrows during the American Civil War?
@sandgrownun66 No, but they used germ covered lead bullets that shattered your bones, and 95% of the time, the solution was amputation.
You're the master of bringing history to life. Another great video Kevin.
Great video as usual Kevin. Really makes you think about the horrors of war, the injuries soldiers might have to have endured in the past and the creativity and ingenuity of field surgeons. Thank you.
That crossbow bolt removal technique is pure irony and medieval genius
😜
I never knew I'd enjoyed this 21 min of information. Love the way you explain things very articulate. Field medic skill and historically accurate knowledge. Salute. And you earn a subscriber.
Hey thanks very much, welcome to the channel 👍🏻
That was an excellent video, I really learnt a lot from this video that I didn’t know. I love the videos with demonstrations like this, it helps me imagine what the scenario would have been like. It would have been soo grim having to deal with an arrow wound!
Great work as always
Oh boy, I was cringing hard from the mounted crossbow through the....skull complications...incredible that somebody was able to survive that. Thank you for sharing this knowledge!
Hi Kevin, thanks for doing another medical video. It was so interesting. Removing the arrow via crossbow was amazing. A WW1 medical video would be nice or 18 hundreds.
Cheers David, more medicine is on the cards 👍🏻
Very informative and interesting video as usual, Kevin. Thanks for all your hard work.
My pleasure!
I've just found my new favourite channel. Please realise that in the mad Max world to very soon come, I will be able to help many people who will experience very similar injuries thanks to this extraordinary and extremely valuable information. You sir, are a true lifesaver
😂 cheers for watching & welcome to the channel 👍🏻
Absolutely brilliant and well done. Love the illustrations
That crossbow being used to remove that arrowhead gave me the chills. I don't cringe easily but wow
15 years ago you made that video? Awesome. I just watched it the other day, that's how I found this channel, which is quickly becoming a favorite of mine. Thank you for making such wonderful videos. I appreciate you.
Wow, thanks!
I do wish back when i was at school they delivered history like this. Its fascinating now and i think allot more of us would have found it fascinating back then in school too.
Yes, even the great David Starky, I wish he was my History teacher, I could have learned so much more. Thank you for an interesting re-enactment.
That's the problem with our schools. They take absolutely fascinating subjects and they manage to reduce them to the driest most boring yarns you could think of, delivered by deeply uninteresting teachers. They kill education.
The only information I remember from high school history, which I studied for hours every week because the teacher was a maniac, is our town was burnt down in 1468. I only remember it because I drew flames around the number.
Props to this man for travelling from past to modern time just to teach us the medieval ways of removing arrow ❤
WHAAAAT?!?!!! That retraction device for Hal V is cRaZY. I'm so impressed with this man's knowledge and enthusiasm. Just watched the secrets of a Tudor manner house and now I'm subbing.
Metaphorically shoving popcorn in my face.
Haha, thanks for the sub & welcome to the channel.........I LOVE popcorn 👍🏻
The stories of medieval times makes you realize how tough everyone was back then . Take 2 arrows to the face and keep fighting . Super cool
This was awesome, and may I say, I'm impressed actually of their innovations to solve the medical problems of the time - they did know what they were doing (for the most part), and apparently did it well.
I do feel that pain management should have been a lot higher on their list of priorities though.
The setting is simply gorgeous 😍
Love seeing a new video pop up from you, Kevin! As always, very informative and excellent to watch. I have the surgeons's kit, as I also do stuff to do with medieval medicine (mainly to do with arrowhead removal and the like). I got a head off Amazon, neighbours wondered what I was doing as they passed by and saw it in my workbench and me drilling holes in it! :D Looking forward to your video on horses, sounds intriguing.
Haha
This is a stunningly informative and entertaining video. Thank you. Hollywood should use you as an expert consultant and incorporate this into a movie. It would make for some very memorable scenes.
Haha, that's for sure 😜
Awesome video, loved how you showed a native arrow head in the beginning, im mi’kmaq from canada, sometimes you can find arrow heads by water n rivers here in nova scotia
Glad you enjoyed the video, I live in Canada now too - Saskatoon
Excellent presentation! Interesting to learn how wounds were treated. Look forward to more!
YEEESS NEW HISTORY SQUAD YEEEAAA
For a medieval surgeon, his nails are exceptionally clean. Far ahead of his time.
😜
How mentally tough and physically strong those soldiers were 😳
Modern medicine is rediscovering old medications. "Bald's Leechbook" (also known as Medicinale Anglicum) is a medical text from the 9th century which was discovered in Royal British Library a couple of years ago. The recipes are tested with partly astonishing results. One of them against infections even seems to be effective against multi resistant pathogens.
Instantly love this guy. I love the depth of his mindset and ernest attitude towards it all. Very grounded.
"Just take the pain" sums it up perfectly, especially in those days when any kind of pain reducer outside of alcohol was alien to these people they just dealt with it. In that situation you know that surgeon is your only chance of survival so you just take it.
If trade was decent, there was opium too. God thought about our needs from the beginning. There are also other herbal pain relievers like wild opium lettuce which grows everywhere, and I'm sure some others. They could make vile tasting tinctures, but alcohol was probably the strongest and sensory aside from opium.
Your videos are ALWAYS a treat. I subscibed to you ever since I saw your first arrowhead removal video and I really do enjoy your style of narration, making even dull topics fascinating. You are quite an interesting character too. Keep it up. :)
Cheers Thor, I'll try 👍🏻
This popped up in my suggestions and I thought I’ll watch a minute, well, watched the whole thing. Absolutely fascinating and terrifying at the same time.
This guy is the History Teacher we all wished we had in high school. Fantastically intriguing 🏹 enjoyed it cheers from Ohio.
He is the history teacher we all wanted. I loved history so a paving slab could've taught me and I would've still been captivated.
If the subject was taught by this chap to all those history haters, I wonder if his enthusiasm would've at least peaked an interest in those who otherwise slept through history lessons?