On The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh

Now we’re talkin’!

Todays random subject is the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, which is WAY more interesting than some dumb old power plan or islet!

It started in 1505, by a newly incorporated guild of fucking BARBER SURGEONS!

This is exactly the sort of thing that I want to be learning about. We’re so accustomed to modern techniques, practices, and technology that we take them for granted. We forget that at some point all of this stuff was brand new.

For instance, when their charter was written up, one of the clauses was that all members must be literate and have full knowledge of anatomy and surgical procedures.

Think about that for a second.

There was a time when surgeons (a.k.a. the dues that cut into your body) didn’t have to know how to read.

Or, for that matter, weren’t required to know every little niggling detail about the insides of human beings.

Different times, I suppose.

They they were organized in 1505, but didn’t get an actual permanent meeting place until nearly 150 years later, in 1647.

It was a tenement building.

It took 50 years before they actually had fully dedicated facilities to do their studying.

The main takeaway from this is that there was a time when surgery was considered a labor discipline, not a scientific or intellectual one. It’s fascinating to think there was a time when being a doctor was some blue collar shit.

16th CENTURY MOTHER: So you’ve finally found a sucker to make a wife of you, eh? It’s about time; you’re almost thirteen, you hag!

16th CENTURY DAUGHTER: He’s a fine man! He’s caring and kind, and oh so gentle!

16th CENTURY MOTHER: Yes, yes. But what does he do?

16th CENTURY DAUGHTER: Well, he’s a… he’s a doctor.

16th CENTURY MOTHER: A DOCTOR?!? You want to marry a doctor? Are you trying to kill your poor mother? We’ll be the laughingstock of the kingdom! Oh, why couldn’t you find yourself a Baron, or at least a nice farmer?

16th CENTURY DAUGHTER (quietly, to herself): Oh, what I wouldn’t give for another black plague…

In conclusion, the Royal College of Surgeons Of Edinburgh also had a huge dentistry component that went basically unregulated for nearly 300 years. So fuck yo teeth, House of Stuart-era Scotland!