Ghoul … or not as the case maybe …

 

This is Gregor Baci … who, from the 1600s, has been immortalised in this Hungarian painting … sorry – it just amused me today of all days, as one of Wiki's 'Did you Know' …

Portrait of Gregor Baci

Apparently he lived for a year after the event, caused possibly in a joust … the spearhead was sawn off - making life more comfortable for the poor man in the last months of his life ... 

I note that a comparable case was described in the The Lancet in 2010 when a craftsman was impaled by a metal rod falling 46 feet (14 m) from a church ceiling - he survived for five years.

Dracula - 'portrait in Ambras Castle'

I wonder if the rod was dislodged by bats in the Belfry … 

... or perhaps by Dracula ... 

The Baci painting hangs in Ambras Castle, Innsbruck … and was likely held by Ferdinand II, Archduke of Austria, as he had been interested in arms and curiosities.

Life is sorting itself out here … November brings a few NHS aspects and then I hope December will leave me alone til 2026 dawns and a prognosis can be made as to what next …

The Spanish Hall in Ambras Castle
(couldn't resist putting it up - beautiful)

Life ticks along thankfully – can't say I'm desperately thrilled with it … but, though sluggish, I am positive and continue to make people laugh … which is good for one and all …

Enjoy your Halloween treats or horror films … no doubt there'll be a few Eastbournians out and about pranking around – I'll see them, but will be behind closed doors … not misery me, just glad I can get away!

All the best to everyone … I shall see you round about …

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

Barbers and/or Surgeons ... Guilds of ...

 

The wonder of putting finger to keyboard … i.e. to connect brain to producing something fanciful, or perhaps even informative …

Achievement of Arms of the Worshipful
Company of Barber-Surgeons;
Gouache on Cloth.
(possibly early in 1300AD)

This brain does work … but rather more often than not it wanders off … I have so much to write up about – note to self: settle down and get on with them …

Recently I heard a talk from a retired doctor about the work he has been doing out in poverty ridden communities in various places around the world … this particular one was on Ethiopia … working with a team of eye surgeons.

Master John Banister - Anatomical
Tables with figures: c 1580AD

He's worked in in Canada, in, what I term Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa … where there are war-torn communities - refugee camps etc …

He was fascinating … so more to follow – but he's giving a talk to the Worshipful Company of Barbers on his work … which got me thinking about haircuts … I've just had one!

F A Maulbertschs 'The Quack' 1785

… Barbers, in the 1300s, originally aided monks, who, at the time, were the medical men, because Papal decrees prohibited members of religious orders from spilling blood.

Interesting … barbers in addition to hair cutting, hairdressing, and shaving … performed surgery: neck manipulation; cleansing of ears and scalp; draining/lancing of boils, fistulae, and cysts with wicks; bloodletting and leeching, fire cupping; enemas; and the extraction of teeth.

Crumbs – am I not glad I live in today's age!

Royal College of Surgeons - 
Court of Examiners (1894)
by Henry Jamyn Brooks

The Worshipful Company of Barbers is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London, and ranks 17^th in precedence.

However if we row back in the mind to Roman times c/o Websters Dictionary of Phrase and Fable … the barber's shop has been a centre for the dissemination of scandal, and the talk of the town … I guess no snares appearing in this blogosphere …

Thankfully over time the Royal College of Surgeons promoted and advanced standards of surgical care for patients – both in surgery and dentistry … being established in 1800 …

1st century wall painting from Pompeii
(a family banquet)

While the Barbers Company now principally acts as a charitable institution for medical and surgical causes …

Well that's good my fingers haven't been cut off … and I can apparently still type – thank goodness for modern inventions … such as computers with their keyboards … I won't add instruments of surgical torment … just a few 'pretty' pictures …

Thanks for waiting for me … WEP's Thriller this week is a-coming …

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

We are the World Blogfest # 57 – Ukraine Surgical Training Courses for War Zones …

 

To preface my post … this is a tribute to Damyanti Biswas, Belinda Witzenhausen, Sylvia McGrath, Lynn Hallbrooks, Simon Falk – who all co-hosted and co-ordinated these positive posts over the last five years …. So like Belinda - I wish you all the very best ... sent with loads of hugs from Positive Letters blog ... 

As they and I say goodbye to the #WATWB monthly posts … I will probably continue in a simpler format – and hope anyone who uses FB will pick up and post across for me – FB and I are not very connected …  

Now my last 'official #WATWB post' … it's a little long, but pertinent to today and events in Ukraine …

Medical Guidance in war-torn Ukraine ... 

David Nott Foundation
(Henry Marsh on left, David looking on)

David Nott – a general and vascular surgeon works mainly in London hospitals, but also volunteers to work in disaster and war zones.

The David Nott Foundation came to my notice in the Syrian conflict … however David Nott has been working in war zones since 1993 … Sarajevo, and alphabetically: Afghanistan, Bosnia, Chad, Darfur, Gaza, Haiti, Iraq, Libya, Sierra Leone, and opposition-held areas of Syria.

He had established front line “Hostile Environment Surgical Training” courses that last four days … focussing on a wide range of skills, including treatment of gun shot wounds and vascular surgery …

Henry Marsh visiting Ternopil
University in 2016

… now the course needed to be condensed, and to ensure that Ukrainian healthcare professionals are best prepared for complex war injuries, the course included triage, damage control, burns, cardiothoracic, orthopaedic, paediatric, and plastic surgery sessions.

In response to this Ukrainian crisis David Nott, and former Consultant Surgeon at St George's Hospital, Henry Marsh, joined forces to deliver a 12-hour surgical training course to over 570 healthcare professionals in early March.

Neurosurgeon, Henry Marsh had established roots in Ukraine as far back as 1992, as a pioneer of neurosurgical advances in Ukraine …

Ternopil National Medical
University in west Ukraine
their logo

Henry Marsh comments: “I hope and pray that my Ukrainian friends and colleagues will not need to apply all that they learn from the David Nott Foundation webinar. 

But we must do what we can to prepare them for the possible horrors ahead as Russia continues with its evil and murderous invasion.”

Links:

David Nott – Wikipedia

David Nott Foundation – Ukraine …

Henry Marsh - Neurosurgeon – Wikipedia

Ternopil National Medical University, west Ukraine - their Wikipedia site ... 

Revolution of Dignity – also known as the Maidan Revolution … took place in Ukraine 2014 – ousting ex-president Yanukovych, after he failed to sign a political association and free trade agreement with the European Union, instead choosing closer ties to Russia …

Blogfest Community in FB …

Belinda Witzenhuizen - A Hug and a Goodbye from the #WATWB community ... 

Thank you all participants - bloggers, commenters, readers ... of our #WATWB posts ... sad that 'time is called' ...  

We are the World Blogfest

In Darkness, Be Light

Peace and Compassion for Ukraine

and a happier world for us all in the years ahead

Hilary Melton-Butcher 

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories