Why Being A Medieval Barber Was One Of The Most Disgusting Jobs In History

The medieval period isn’t exactly known for its high standards of personal hygiene. While it’s not necessarily true that everybody was entirely bathing-averse during this period (according to The Vintage News, the well-to-do of society enjoyed bathhouses, private attendants, and considered the whole thing a bit of a social occasion at times), humanity lacked a crucial understanding of the causes of disease.

However, this doesn’t mean that they didn’t try to take care of themselves, or that medical care (such as it was) wasn’t available. Both at the very same place, in a lot of instances. Today, it might be unthinkable that a barber would perform rudimentary operations on top of their familiar shaving and hair-cutting duties, but such was the lot of a medieval barber.

History goes on to explain that, in medieval medicine, much revolved around the blood. If patients supposedly had “too much,” this was believed to be the cause of all manner of diseases that just weren’t understood yet. National Geographic reports that the dangerous practice of bloodletting has been going on since the time of the Ancient Egyptians, and while it does continue to have very limited uses, leeches were the answer to various ills in the Middle Ages.

The ghastly duties of the barber surgeon

History also reports that, with Pope Alexander III forbidding monks (who were in charge of a lot of hospital medical care at the time, per Ancient Origins) from engaging in bloodletting as of 1136, barbers took on the grim duty. They also attempted to bandage injuries and extracted teeth, all of which had a tendency to be bloody, dirty, and generally awful.

According to Ancient Origins, with doctors and surgeons having very disparate roles at the time, and with the former very rarely conducting physical care, people became more and more reliant on barber-surgeons as an accessible alternative.

They would reportedly test the urine of their patients, often by tasting it, they would aid in the birth of babies, and they would regularly perform amputations. With the rudimentary tools available at the time, and with the people in their care entirely conscious throughout, it’s difficult to imagine just how traumatizing and horrific the job of a medieval barber-surgeon would have been.

55 thoughts on “Why Being A Medieval Barber Was One Of The Most Disgusting Jobs In History

  1. Cizqty says:

    order tricor 200mg online buy tricor 200mg buy fenofibrate 200mg generic

  2. Pjnaev says:

    order tadalafil 20mg generic viagra fast shipping buy generic sildenafil 50mg

  3. Ooyhoh says:

    zaditor cost tofranil 25mg generic purchase tofranil generic

  4. Bvgauv says:

    buy minoxytop paypal tadalafil 5mg brand ed pills for sale

  5. Kashgf says:

    precose us buy acarbose pills for sale order fulvicin 250 mg generic

  6. Fgptkc says:

    buy generic aspirin for sale purchase zovirax without prescription purchase imiquimod for sale

  7. Gcikao says:

    order generic dipyridamole 25mg buy dipyridamole 100mg without prescription buy pravastatin 10mg without prescription

  8. Lepkvr says:

    buy melatonin pills cerazette pills purchase danazol generic

  9. Elvjba says:

    monograph order online buy generic cilostazol buy cilostazol no prescription

  10. Lzdeyr says:

    prasugrel 10mg over the counter order dimenhydrinate 50 mg sale purchase tolterodine for sale

  11. Anrtza says:

    cost pyridostigmine 60 mg order mestinon sale where to buy rizatriptan without a prescription

  12. Ifkafc says:

    latanoprost eye drop order latanoprost eye drops exelon price

  13. Lavvvi says:

    buy premarin pills for sale cheap sildenafil generic sildenafil 25mg price

  14. Buzzry says:

    buy micardis medication order telmisartan 20mg online cheap molnupiravir buy online

  15. Eywuqx says:

    buy cialis 40mg pills female cialis order sildenafil pill

  16. Qwfbpi says:

    order cenforce online cheap buy generic naprosyn 500mg buy chloroquine generic

  17. Uxpgve says:

    buy modafinil without prescription oral prednisone oral deltasone 20mg

  18. Xzhjum says:

    pepcid canada buy generic tacrolimus prograf cheap

  19. Voaujn says:

    azelastine 10ml drug buy generic zovirax 400mg avapro over the counter

  20. Ansgzg says:

    where to buy nexium without a prescription remeron 30mg brand cost topiramate

  21. Nkprne says:

    oral allopurinol 300mg order rosuvastatin online crestor 20mg us

  22. Barcvl says:

    imitrex oral buy avodart 0.5mg online order dutasteride pills

  23. Vdjjwo says:

    brand buspirone buspirone over the counter amiodarone price

  24. Ueoirh says:

    buy zantac 150mg sale celebrex price buy celebrex 100mg generic

  25. Jaxxwn says:

    motilium order sumycin 250mg for sale buy tetracycline 500mg

  26. Hrnhmg says:

    tamsulosin generic zocor generic zocor drug

  27. Uyhged says:

    brand spironolactone buy valtrex 500mg online propecia over the counter

  28. Tzhjfp says:

    mba essay service essay writing sites write essays for me

  29. Blzbre says:

    forcan price acillin oral order ciprofloxacin 1000mg generic

  30. Vubiyu says:

    purchase sildenafil pill estrace over the counter order estrace 2mg generic

  31. Gebepx says:

    metronidazole canada keflex 500mg without prescription brand cephalexin 125mg

  32. Pilmjr says:

    lamotrigine 50mg for sale buy prazosin 1mg online order mebendazole 100mg online cheap

  33. Ycazel says:

    order cleocin 150mg online cheap sildenafil 100mg oral can i buy ed pills over the counter

  34. Yqitbg says:

    buy tretinoin cream online cheap tadalafil oral avanafil 100mg cheap

  35. Pvuidh says:

    tamoxifen 10mg canada tamoxifen 10mg generic rhinocort without prescription

  36. Xxczyz says:

    purchase tadacip pills purchase indocin pills buy indomethacin 50mg online cheap

  37. Rmrdgg says:

    cefuroxime 500mg pills cefuroxime over the counter where can i buy robaxin

  38. Uolfkm says:

    purchase trazodone buy suhagra 100mg online clindamycin price

  39. Ddpkqs says:

    lamisil tablet casinos real money slots

  40. Cewsuv says:

    buy aspirin 75mg for sale slots casino slot game

  41. Riwqzb says:

    purchase essays online buy suprax oral cefixime 200mg

  42. Awoxhh says:

    where can i buy an essay essays help free spins no deposit

  43. Fxcxiv says:

    buy amoxicillin no prescription buy macrobid without a prescription buy generic clarithromycin 250mg

  44. Onmtzq says:

    rocaltrol 0.25 mg over the counter purchase labetalol online cheap tricor 200mg pill

  45. Knmoob says:

    acnomel adult acne medication genital permanent acne removal treatment generic trileptal

  46. Mgpdpg says:

    buy minocycline 100mg online cheap order requip 2mg generic buy generic ropinirole 2mg

  47. Uzfagk says:

    order uroxatral 10mg drug to stop stomach cramps best drug to treat reflux

  48. Nltwjq says:

    order femara 2.5 mg aripiprazole 20mg cost buy aripiprazole online cheap

  49. Yivpvq says:

    top selling sleep aids medication side effects thicken hair get qsymia prescription online

  50. Ousgiq says:

    nhs stopping smoking service should you take osteoporosis drugs purchase prescription medication online

  51. Knagba says:

    medroxyprogesterone 5mg brand microzide 25mg without prescription buy hydrochlorothiazide 25 mg without prescription

  52. Nbelda says:

    prescription medication for shingles relief best antiviral pills new treatments for diabetes 2

  53. Ccchry says:

    how to buy periactin order generic ketoconazole buy nizoral 200 mg sale

  54. Ddygvy says:

    best online site for diflucan 4 types of antifungal medicaments blood pressure dose equivalency chart

  55. Vlfwna says:

    cymbalta pills order duloxetine without prescription modafinil 100mg pills

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

pictellme.com