Wonders of the Knife from 1890- worries about modern surgery

Modern surgery techniques worried doctors in 1890.

WONDERS OF THE KNIFE

(Transcribed from the Philadelphia Press 1890)

operation 1890 US naval yard (Library of Congress) (2)An operation 1890 US naval yard Detroit Publishing (Library of Congress)

Modern surgery,” said a practitioner, “gives men new eyes, even robbing rabbits for that purpose with success, gives them new blood, tapping to that end the veins of wome fellow-man; it takes out his ribs and part of his lungs and spine if he does not like them; it gives him, on occasion, a new larynx to talk with, a new skin to perspire through; it cuts out his tongue or his thigh bone, and even strectches his nerves to get the kinks out of them; it straightens. his crooked legs, and provides him with good, live tendons from a dog when his own have suffered misfortune, and it makes him a new nose, a new mouth, a new knee-cap, or a new ear, if he wishes it.

It won’t be long before it may make him a Frankenstein, if the progress of science continues.”

Vinegar of the Four Thieves was a recipe that was known for its antibacterial, antiviral, antiseptic, and antifungal properties for years. It was even used to cure the Bubonic Plague. See Thomas Jefferson’s recipe in VINEGAR OF THE FOUR THIEVES: Recipes & curious tips from the past