The Second Opinion

In the Middle Ages, medicine was not exactly top-notch, especially in Europe. With treatments such as swallowing ground emeralds for the rich, to pouring the grease of a fox into your ear for earache, and the always popular leech to suck your problems away, it's not surprising that doctors were not very popular or successful in treating their patients. Arabic doctors had a bit more luck, on the other hand. Here are two comparative examples.

The Lumpy Leg

A knight presented with an infected lump on his leg - an abscess.

The Arabic doctor suggested dressing the abscess and preparing it for draining.

The European doctor suggested amputating the leg.

Now, depending on whether the knight's leg had started to turn into necrotic tissue, the Arabic doctor had the right sort of idea. Let's not jump to conclusions now.

Doctor, Doctor, My Brain Hurts

A man presented with a headache.

The Arabic doctor suggested a change of diet.

The European doctor cut open the man's head, removed his brain and rubbed it with salt.

The man died.

What's the moral of the tale?

Get a second opinion. And don't get sick in Medieval Europe.