Surgexperiences 102: Barbers

I am profusely sorry for this delay. Finding hosts is not an easy task, as Bertalan can attest to, especially at the start of a new blog carnival. Coupled with the other aspects of my life, mainly spiritual (church camp, baptism, consecration), academic (endocrinology and abdo anat, phys, pharm) and social (gf’s 1mth visit to Melbourne), i deeply regret to inform you that i am actually seriously considering giving this up.

A canoeing coach of mine once said a rather cliche line, “No pain, no gain.”

Now its just whether this gain is worth or not….Nevertheless, here it is, Season 1, Episode 2 of Surgexperiences.

With a special theme on barbers.

They are skilful people.

Bongi, a general surgeon, presents see one, do one, teach one posted at other things amanzi, and commented “the further side?”

John Wesley presents A 3 Step Routine for Creating Energy that Lasts All Day posted at Pick the Brain.

Shaheen Lakhan presents “Wanted: visiting GI surgeon, must demonstrate expert video gaming skills” | GNIF Brain Blogger posted at GNIF Brain Blogger.

Karen Halls kindly presents The Best Drug Treatment Programs and Drug Addiction Treatment posted at Addiction Recovery Blog.

Sidney Schwab presents The Old Man and the C at Surgeonsblog, about his views on immediate breast reconstruction after a mastectomy.

Courtesy of www.diggerhistory.info/images/art/Barbers.jpg

They provide a useful service unto the community.

Bongi, once again, presents fettuchini posted at other things amanzi. He also made a difference, at his practice, a highly recommended read, and gives us a view on the unique challenges of surgery in my neck of the woods in “the powerful horn“.

Courtesy of Word Info.

Historically, barbers were also dentists and surgeons, versatile performers of tooth extraction and enemas, bloodletting and wound surgery.

It was only in Paris, about 1210 A.D., identification of the academic “surgeons as surgeons of the long robe” and the barber-surgeons as “surgeons of the short robe” was established.

The father of modern surgery, Ambroise Pare (1510-1590), was himself a common barber-surgeon before he embraced medicine and became the most famous surgeon of the Renaissance Period.

Another cool fact i found out about the history of barbers was this: they blood let, as shown above. This is basically a practice followed up upon Hippocrates’ mistaken notion that bloodletting could eliminate an “overbalance” of blood.

More on that at: http://www.wordinfo.info/words/index/info/view_unit/3364/?letter=B

They probably are role models in the community, as well.

A Fort Worth surgeon completes the Badwater Ultramarathon at Death Valley. Sighted here, and here. First sighting at Medical News Wire of Inside Surgery.

I am sure they are countless examples of surgeons who have done well in their life outside medicine. They are just so many that can’t be listed here, but so are there countless examples of OTHER PROFESSIONALS or even anyone in the workforce who has a great fulfilling life outside their area of work. The headings are but some of the numerous things they do (i am still a lowly student) that make such a big difference in our world today.

Which inadvertently leads to the question, what inspires you? This is easily answered if you’d tuned in to Grand Rounds - the weekly compendium of the best entries in the medical blogosphere. Do refer to Wandering Visitor who hosted Grand Rounds 3.40 on June 26, if u’d missed it. It’s never too late to start.

Over at Aggravated DocSurg, we read about “the downside of the 5th vital sign“, in matters like PCA pumps, pain assessment and management.

Steven Palter, reports and deliberates about the potential of virtual reality in surgery.

Lastly, Respectful Insolence proudly presents “Iron Surgeon?“, reminding us that surgeons, after all, are humans after all.

Franz Anton Maulbertsch’s The Quack (c. 1785) shows barber surgeons at work. Courtesy of Wiki.
Thanksgiving

Thanks to all for your support for your submission.

Thanks to Word Info, primarily a free dictionary of English words from Latin and Greek origins which are used in modern English vocabulary with illustrations and additional related information that is unavailable in any other dictionary, for giving the copyright for this picture.

Finally, thanks to you my readers, for the traffic. Nah, that isn’t the most important. The most important is if you have benefited from this Surgexperiences blog carnival. I pray you have, in one way or another.

Announcements

Next edition is tentatively scheduled at 12 August. Host TBC. Further details at official Surgexperiences website. God bless you all.