Medieval,
Tudor or Jacobean medicine recreated for museums and films.
With a bewildering range of equipment, David can re-create
the shop/dwelling of any of the above either as a large or
small installation. Recent clients have included the BBC (Timewatch),
the Mary Rose Museum, Sandal Castle in Wakefield, English
Heritage, Donnington le Heath Manor, Barley Hall in York,
Oakham Museum.
Films and
TV
Conditions of
Hire
Allow at least 4 hours for setting up, not including carrying
to location. David is to be in attendance throughout, and
any changes, handling, operation or instruction with equipment
between shots will be by him alone. David has authentic costume
for each role and period and can be an extra in the set for
no additional charge. If it is necessary, a final part day
for clearing away is required.
Museums
David will be available
all day (apart from confort breaks) for visitors to meet and
talk to. The equipment can be set up indoors or in our own
authentic tent.
Schools
These presentations
can be woven into a full day presentation at your own school.
Physician
David will dress
as a physician in a long medieval furred gown. He will discuss
his education at various universities here in England and
later on the continent. He will quote from the works of the
ancient physicians such as Galen and Avicenna. He will speak
of diagnosis of disease using the urinal and the theory of
the four humours. The casting of a horology based on astrpogical
data will help in the diagnosis of disease. Cures for the
pox, the plague and the English sweating sickess will be discussed
as well as dietary recommendations to avoid disease for the
furure. He will write a script for the patient to take to
the apothecary and collect his fee which will not be inconsiderable.
Equipment includes:
Long Gown, Urinal
(Jordan), "bird" costume(to protect against the
plague), a range of facsimile medical texts, wand, astrological
and medical charts, a skeleton, writing implements for scripts
(prescriptions) etc.
Apothecary
Weighing out and
grinding ingredients will be demonstrated. A series of smells
will be experienced. Making of pills and/or soap balls. Distillation
of oils.
Equipment includes:
Weighing scales
and weights, still, jugs, cauldrons, tripod, brazier, pestle
& mortar (many), chests of drawers, drug jars, bottles,
spices and herbs, various stuffed animals etc
Barber Surgeon
David will dress
in the Livery of the Barber Surgon's Company and talk about
how the equipment is used. He will describe the apprentise
system and call for several young volunteers to help in turn.
He will talk about the role of the Surgeon in the Navy on
the Mary Rose or in the Army with Henry VIII at the unsuccessful
seige of Montreuil (1544), and how that might differ from
his civilian role. The country barber-surgeon would be a jack
of all trades combining the work of the barber with minor
surgery, toothdrawing, bloodletting, curing of wounds, bonesetting
with a certain amount of animal treatment. He may have had
subsiduary occupations which included glove making, slay making
(the reed assembly in a loom), net making (for catching small
birds) and wax chandlery (for preserving the dead and making
wax effigies).
Equipment includes:
1). Surgical
Barber-Surgeon's
Livery, Baldrick, Syringes, cauterising irons, saws, chisle,
dissecting knife, needles, fleme, skull, trepan, mercury,
scalples, mallet (beetle), forcepts, wound man, cannon ball,
grenado, arrow heads, musket balls, toothdrawing pliers, horses
& human teeth, bloodletting bowls, cupping bowls, brazier,
wax arm, truss, surgical facsimile texts etc.
2). Hairdressing
Scissors, razors,
soap, shaving bowl, jug, curling tongs, ear wax scoop, mustashio
wax, chess set, dice, cards, children's toys, recorder, cittern
Cunning
Man
A selection from
the above equipment.
David has done extensive
research on this subject and has a medical library of over
100 items relevant to medieval and early modern medicine and
outside acedemia is regognised as one of the leading experts
in this field. See
our extensive medical library He also runs a yahoo group
for other Medical Lving Historians. See
the Staff of the Serpent
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