Recommended Book for Fantasy GMs

[Susano]

The Time Traveler's Guide To Medieval England: A Handbook for Visitors to the Fourteenth Century by Ian Mortimer

A very fun read that does a great job of breaking down life, fashion, culture, and so on from 1300-1400. Useful for fantasy GMs as it gives you an idea of what pre-industrial society can be like, as a look at food, clothing, religion, laws, and so on. While not for everyone, it does give GMs an interesting look at town, village, and even lordly life in the 14th C. One of the best parts deals with tolls and laws. Want to separate PCs from their amassed wealth? Hit them with tolls for crossing a bridge, bringing horses across a bridge, carts, and so on. Also, the material on market and trade should be of great use when setting up your world. Oh, and the section on required arms and armor for all men of certain classes is interesting as well. Best yet, the book is very, very readable and not boring in the slightest (IMO). BTW -- if you're squeamish, you might want to skip the section on medical care....

[L. Marcus]

BTW -- if you're squeamish, you might want to skip the section on medical care....

Squeamisk, shmeamish! I love that stuff!

I'll have to see if I have the budget for this book ...

[Lawnmower Boy]

On historical lithotomy (operating for bladder stones), from here:

The method used by the ancient Greeks, Romans and Arabians was
described by Celsus, who lived from 25 B.C. to A.D. 50. In England it
became known as ' Cutting on the Gripe '. It was to be used only in the
spring and only between the ages of 9 and 14. After some days' preparation the patient was treated in this way:
'A strong and intelligent person being seated on a high stool, lays hold of the patient
in a supine posture, with his back towards him, and his hips being placed on his knees,
with his legs drawn backwards he orders the patient to seize his own hams with his
hands, and to draw them towards his body with all his power, and at the same time he
secures them in that position.
' Then the physician, having carefullv pared his nails, introduces his index and middle
fingers of the left hand, first the one gently, afterwards the other into the anus, and
places the finger of his right hand lightly on the lower part of the abdomen.... First
of all the stone must be sought for about the neck of the bladder ... and when it has
been brought into that position... a lunated incision must be made through the
integuments immediately over and extending to the neck of the bladder near the anus,
with the horns a little inclined towards the ischia; then a second incision is to be made
in the transverse form in the convex part of the wound so as to open the neck of the
bladder.'
The stone was then extracted with the finger or a hook. The original
transverse incision was altered later to a vertical one, the breadth of a grain
of wheat to the left of the median raphe.
Firm pressure from above was an essential and painful part of the
operation and was generally done by an assistant. Persistent haemorrhage after operation was treated by sitting the patient in strong vinegar
and salt. The rectum was sometimes damaged and post-operative
incontinence of urine was common. Nevertheless this operation, without
a staff, remained in use until the middle of the 16th century, at least for
children.
The greater operation
In about 1520 a new method of perineal lithotomy was devised by
Joannes de Romanis of Cremona; it was first published by his disciple
Marianus Sanctus Barolitanus in 1522 and became known as the Marian
operation and later as ' Cutting on the Staff' (Fig. 2). For the first
time a grooved staff was passed along the urethra to guide subsequent
instruments into the bladder. A vertical incision two to four inches long
was made with a sharp-pointed deep-bellied knife, and the tissues divided
down to the neck of the bladder. A gorget was passed along the groove
and followed by two conductors, female and male; these were curved
bars of iron which were separated to dilate the wound. They were
followed by Pare's dilator (aperiens) guided by the button and then the
forceps of either the duck-bill or crow's-beak type. The dilator tore
through the prostate and bladder neck.

[page break]

small it was held open by the latera. Forceps with two, three or four
blades were used. A stone still too large to be delivered could be crushed
with a large forceps and the fragments removed by the scoop or crochet.
The wound was left open.
Marianus described these instruments of torture with vicious symbolism;
he was proud of them:
'Look but to the aperiens, how it gapes with desire when the conductors have made
way for its approaching, and, seizing the stone, it rages like the ferocious soldier ready

[for illustrations, see linked article]

to enter the breach in the walls of the besieged city. Next come the voracious and
vociferous forceps themselves, which often, when their morsel is too large for them
to devour, cry out for the aid of their two supporters, or latera, which are then laid
side by side with the forceps.'
The lesser operation was not entirely abandoned and was still considered preferable for boys. But the Marian operation was adopted
by many lithotomists and in particular by the Collots, who were famous
lithotomists in France for eight generations. It may have had some

[page break]

advantages over the lesser operation; it could be used for adults, the
transverse perineal muscle was not cut and the ischio-rectal fossa not
opened, but the trauma to the prostate and bladder neck was intense,
haemorrhage was severe, the extraction of a large stone through the
narrow prostatic urethra was very painful; and incontinence, fistula
and impotence were frequent sequelae. Tolet (1708) illustrates the use
of the dilators and gives some notes on the pre-operative preparation by
diet, bloodletting, clysters and purges under the guidance of a physician.
After a day's rest from this preparation the patient was put on the special
chair and bound hands to ankles; four assistants were usually required,
each with different duties. He says: ' It were better to have but few
spectators, because a great many may inconvenience the operator, frighten
the patient, and put a wrong construction upon the accidents that sometimes accompany the operation. It is fitting as much as conveniently
may be that a Churchman should be present to talk now and then to the
patient, as it may help to divert his pain and increase his patience during
the operation.'
The mortality was high but the itinerant lithotomists were held responsible for their bad results and punished accordingly; their motto was
evidently ' Cut and run '.
The Marian operation remained in vogue until towards the end of the
17th century. It was used by Ambroise Pare, who said ' that which is cut
is neither so speedily nor easily healed up as that which is torne '. Celsus
had said that it was safer to cut than to dilate, an axiom followed later
by Frere Jacques and Cheselden (1723). Civiale (1827) described the
Marian operation as one of the most terrible in surgery.

[L. Marcus]

We've come a loo-oong way.

[Susano]

I think the only thing I found that seemed off to me was the section on the joust and tournaments. It didn't match up with several other books I've read on the same subject. Although some of what he mentions was interesting in its own right.

[L. Marcus]

... No melee?

[Susano]

... No melee?

According to the book, melee was earlier, but this isn't true, as King Rene's tourney book so clearly shows.

[L. Marcus]

Whatsisname, Guillaume le Mareshal, when did he live? The 1200s? He was a devil for those melees ...

[Susano]

Whatsisname, Guillaume le Mareshal, when did he live? The 1200s? He was a devil for those melees ...

Sir William (the) Marshall was early 1200, yes. And he was apparently unstoppable.

[L. Marcus]

He wuz Tankin'!

[Susano]

He wuz Tankin'!

Well, it was a case of hit them until they fell over or withdrew. And to give you an idea how tough Sir William was, he was once late to the awarding of the prizes because the smith was undenting William's helm so he could get it off.

[L. Marcus]

I heard that one. Must've made the following hangover seem like a relief. ^^

[Narf the Mouse]

Certainly puts getting a teeny little needle in perspective.

[Markdoc]

Well, it was a case of hit them until they fell over or withdrew. And to give you an idea how tough Sir William was, he was once late to the awarding of the prizes because the smith was undenting William's helm so he could get it off.

For me, his toughness is illustrated is illustrated by the fact that he led the charge at the battle of Lincoln, reputedly taking several high-ranked prisoners .... at the age of 70. Tough mofo, no question.

cheers, Mark

[L. Marcus]

Leading an active lifestyle does that. I wonder if he ate yoghurt ... ?