Fired Up

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by Mary Connealy

Connealy HospitalMy current release, Fired Up is about a doctor in frontier Texas. Because I’m really interested in historical medicine, I recently visited Fort Atkinson, a restored 1820s fort near my home. It had a doctor’s office. Of course it’s historically accurate for 182o and my book is set in the 1860s, but still, I was fascinated to see what they had.

This is (I assume) completely up-to-date (for the western frontier of course) medicine in the 1820s. So come along for the ride IF YOU DARE!

First of course read the sign above. They are claiming with pride that this is the fort HOSPITAL!!!

Connealy SurgeonAnd they are also proud to announce the name and profession of their doctor. He is J Gale Surgeon. For some reason, I just think you all need to know this.

Connealy Daze-Out-MotelFirst the hospital bed. You know, this isn’t so bad. I recently spent the night in a motel which I shall call, well, let’s just call it the Daze Out Motel. And it wasn’t that much different. So okay. It doesn’t have a down comforter. It’s okay.

Connealy Mortar-and-PestleA mortar and pestle. This is quaint. And it puts me in mind of true medicine. Like pills. I’m with you Dr. Gale.

Connealy Ball-ForcepsThen, well, this is bad, but it’s a fort. Bullets happen. Sad and painful but still. What did you think was going to happen when you joined the army? Grow up. Get on the hard little bed and quit whining.

Connealy RetractorAnd if the bullet probe can’t find the bullet, well, you can’t leave it in there, so okay, retractors. I’ve heard that word on TV shows, still, I could do without the illustration.

Connealy Goats-Foot-ElevatorIs it ever wise to name any medical tool after a Goat let alone it’s foot? And what exactly do they mean it’s used to remove stumps and roots? And what exactly are they trying to elevate? I’m hoping this is a dental tool at the same time I’m terribly afraid that’s exactly what it is. Note at the bottom it says it also came in other shapes including…. and then an implement of some type either ‘accidentally’ covers that line up or the powers that be who made this museum made the decision to not tell us. My imagination begins to go wild.

Connealy Bullet-ProbeOkay we’re still looking for that bullet. The forceps didn’t work. The retractor didn’t work. The Goat’s Foot didn’t work. Now we’re gettin’ the probe out. Is it getting hot in here? Or is it just me?

Connealy Bistoury-KnifeSo if we STILL can’t find that blasted bullet then the surgeon begins to really earn his money right? (Mary is desperately fanning herself) A Bistoury Knife. They had several knives, a whole bunch of knives. Oh, how they loved their knives.

Connealy FleamBecause, of course, you know the most beloved of all treatments for doctors back then was BLEEDING PEOPLE. And here come the many and varied methods for doing that. As if too much blood in the human body was a crisis. The fleam. And bless them, they are wild for the illustrations.

Connealy Thumb-LancetsThumb Lancets. Really, read the words yourselves. I need to get some air.

Notice how they boast about the tortoise shell, silver, how nice of them to take the time to make the handles decorative before they begin stabbing you and draining the blood out of you. Thanks, Doc.

Connealy Leeches

And what doctor’s office would be complete without LEECHES. We all knew this was coming, didn’t we?

Connealy CauteryIn an almost comically counterintuitive move, the doctor also had a tool called a cautery to STOP bleeding. What kind of foolishness would make him do that?

Connealy Amputation-KnifeAnd the horror continues in the amputation department of our hospital. Yeesh. Again with the helpful illustration. I can only imagine medical school. The text books. The class work. How many student doctors made it through the lectures? Good grief, I’m not sure I’m going to make it through this blog post!

Connealy TourniquetHere, handy. A tourniquet. Somehow I always figured they just tied your arm or leg or whatever off like, with a belt or whatever was handy, but NO! They had tools. And here one is.
Connealy TenaculumAnd there’s more to it. A tenaculum. I’m not even going to comment. If you’re still fully conscious, just read it yourself.

Connealy leg-amputationThe surgeon QUOTE ‘stands on the inside of the leg while assistant……’ Mary here……my vision is beginning to narrow and it’s like I’m seeing everything through a tunnel. Things are getting dark and fuzzy. Must get…fresh air! Water! I need…water!

Connealy faintedA helpful museum employee snapped this picture. I am glad to report that those beds are more comfortable than I feared and the retractors hardly hurt at all. The leeches tickled and they let me keep one for a pet.

But I’m fine and have only a few more pictures to share. I’ve saved the best for last.

Connealy TrephineThe ever popular TREPHINE. Oddly enough the Trephine is not a medical device that has remained well known down through the ages. Note the lower end. The rounded, jagged, circle. Picture it cutting decorative holes in something like, oh, a watermelon perhaps.

Or a skull.

Connealy Drawing-of-Brain-Surgery

It is for your own good so stop making that awful face. I think it is refreshing that even though it is pretty darned obvious that NO ONE would use a melon hole maker on a human skull unless they really really needed to, even the illustrators are not gonna try to kid you, this is gonna suck.

Connealy Drawing-of-Brain-Surgery-close-upJust in case you had any doubt.

Fired Up
Mary Connealy writes romantic comedy with cowboys. She is a Carol Award winner, and a Rita, Christy and Inspirational Reader’s Choice finalist. She is the author of Swept Away, book #1 of the Trouble in Texas series. Book #2 of that series, Fired Up released this month.

Comments 0

  1. Loved it! I have to ask though… Did you really faint? Oh sorry, to be morein fitting with the period that would have to be swoon. ; D
    We must keep in mind that the doctors often bled people enough to fill two large basins… Multiple times a day. Is that where we patients get to call the good ole doc a rabid bloodthirsty grizzly bear? Thanks for posting!

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