Ergotism (St Anthony's Fire) is poisoning resulting from the consumption of the fungus ergot, often in infected rye. Symptoms include hallucinations, convulsions, burning pains and gangrene in the hands and feet. Research Ergotism
Gangrene (Mortification) is a term applied in medicine to the death of a considerable bulk of body tissue. Gangrenes are classified according to their cause. Embolic gangrene is due to the blocking of an artery, which prevents blood reaching the part. Senile gangrene is due to malnutrition of the part in very old people. Traumatic gangrene is due to injury. Hospital gangrene, gas gangrene and others are due to infection by organisms. The gangrene may be either dry or moist. In dry gangrene the part is hard, shrunken and black. In moist gangrene it is swollen and putrescent. Research Gangrene
Gas gangrene is a form of gangrene resulting from infection of a wound by anaerobic bacteria (especially Clostridium welchii) that cause gas bubbles and swelling in the surrounding tissues. Research Gas Gangrene
Leprsosy is an infective disease which runs a very chronic course, and occurs in different forms. In nodular leprosy there are bouts of fever, with nodules in the skin and mucous membranes. In anaesthetic leprosy there are at first areas of redness over the body, with a macular rash, malaise, chills and vague pains, and later areas of anaesthesia develop, with insensibility to touch, heat and cold, and pain. In later cases of both types ulceration is common, and in anaesthetic leprosy there may be loss of fingers and toes or other parts from gangrene. In nodular
leprosy the mucousmembrane of the nose and mouth is involved, with loss of speech, and ulceration and scarring of the lips and tongue. The skin becomes dry like parchment, and the general expression is grave and heavy. The disease is very chronic and the two types often become merged, with symptoms of both types. There may be remissions or arrest of symptoms, but more commonly death occurs from tuberculosis, exhaustion, or renal failure after twenty years or more. Research Leprosy
If air enters the tissues of the body, particularly in the loose cellular tissue immediately under the skin, its presence is detected by a crackling sensation as the skin surface is palpated. This condition is 'surgical emphysema' and it develops most commonly in injuries of the thorax because of the continuous pumping action of the thoracic muscles and diaphragm. A puncture of the skin alone may result in air being drawn in with each movement and being unable to escape. Occasionally this condition is present around fractures (for instance, fractures of the tibia where there has been a puncture wound). Air may escape from a pneumothorax into the tissues surrounding the pleura and this happens particularly with fractures of the ribs. The area of surgical emphysema may spread with alarming rapidity beneath the skin over the chest, extending well up into the neck and down onto the abdominal wall. It is sometimes very painful and its presence makes examination of the thorax or the abdomen very misleading. Surgical emphysema may also be induced by gas-forming organisms - gas gangrene. In thoracic surgery, surgical emphysema is most likely to arise in association with tension pneumothorax. Research Surgical Emphysema
Thrombosis is the formation of a clot within a blood vessel. If blood vessels have been damaged by inflammation (from the spread of infection in the surrounding tissues) or if their walls are thickened and rough from arteriosclerosis, clotting may start within the vessel while the blood is still circulating through it. Very soon the clot becomes piled up on the walls of the vessel and the tube becomes completely blocked. Once this clotting process has started it spreads rapidly up and down the vessel, blocking the mouths of the little branches, and consequently the blood how to or from the part affected becomes completely obstructed. If it is an artery which is blocked by this process, gangrene may supervene very rapidly. Arterial thrombosis occurs frequently in the coronary arteries of the heart: the heart muscle is deprived of oxygen and the patient collapses; if the clotting extends to one of the bigger vessels of the coronary circulation, the patient dies. If a vein becomes affected and arterial blood is still being pumped into the part, the tissues become greatly swollen and painful.
Venous thrombosis occurs perhaps most commonly in the veins of the leg following operation, leading to the formation of an oedematous leg which is called 'white leg'. If part of the clot within the vessel becomes detached and carried on into the circulation, it is known as an ' embolus', and will be carried to distant parts, blocking smaller vessels. Blood emboli travelling in the venous circulation pass through the right side of the heart into the pulmonary artery and thence into the smaller arterioles of the lungs. If a large pulmonary artery is blocked this condition of pulmonary embolism produces sudden death. The area of the lung which has been deprived of its blood supply is an infarct. A small infarct is compatible with life. The surrounding area of lung becomes inflamed and an area of pleurisy develops. Research Thrombosis
A bow is a weapon for propelling arrows. It is made of a strip of flexible material, such as wood, tubular steel, fibreglass or carbon fibre and a cord. The British longbow used during the Mediaeval period by English and Welsh archers was made of yew and required an incredible 150 lbs to pull it - by comparison, modern target archery competition recurve bows have a draw weight of between 26 and 40 lbs and hunting bows rarely exceed a draw weight of 65 lbs. British bowmen were apprenticed at the age of six, and by adult hood were severely deformed with the right arm longer than the left arm, the back twisted into a hunch and the right shoulder enlarged. The British longbow could propel an arrow to a distance of 300 yards, and still penetrate a knight's armour.
British archers used various types of arrow, the popular anti-personnel arrow had a slightly barbed head of iron held on to the shaft by beeswax. These arrows were poisoned by being dipped in the earth before firing. The fletchings were cut from feathers from one side of a goose, so as to impart spin to the arrow which upon striking the target tore through the flesh with devastating effect. The combination of a barb and loose connection to the shaft ensured the tip would remain in the target even if the shaft were pulled out, and the dirt from the ground helped to ensure infection to the wound. In this way even a hit to an arm or leg would frequently result in gangrene being contracted and the victim requiring an amputation.
The Probert Encyclopaedia was designed, edited and programed by
Matt and Leela Probert
Abbreviations
Research Ergotism
