Anatomy of

EUROPE, 1000–1745

A barber-surgeon

A LITTLE OFF THE TOP, PLEASE FROM HAIRCUTS TO AMPUTATIONS

For centuries, if you needed a boil lanced, a tooth pulled or a bone set, you went to the same place that you had your hair cut. This sort of dirty work was considered beneath scholarly physicians and was left to barbers, who already had sharp implements to hand.

BARBER-SURGEON’S TOOLS USE WITH CAUTION!

The barber-surgeon had all kinds of tools at his disposal to perform his various medical operations. These would include combs, syringes, pliers, a bone saw for nasty amputations and, of course, jars of leeches, ready for any bloodletting services required.

SHAVING CLOTHS

CLEAN IT UP

A barber-surgeon needed to keep a large stock of linen to wipe up shaving soap or double as bandages after minor operations. The red and white pole, which is still used to identify a barber’s shop, may have meant to indicate the blood and napkins used to clean up during bloodletting.

TRADESMEN’S CAP

IF THE HAT FITS…

In a chest of barber-surgeon’s belongings recovered from the Mary Rose, Henry VIII’S beloved warship, there was a black velvet coif that sometimes was worn under a flat cap. Rather than being worn out of any concern for hygiene, the hat was a standard part of a Tudor tradesmen’s uniform, intended to keep hair out of their eyes.

SHARP RAZOR A CLOSE SHAVE

A good barber-surgeon was never without his tool of choice, a straight razor. This blade could be used to shave a customer’s beard in one instance and then used to lance a boil in the next!

APRON

BARBER’S TOOL BELT

According to Randle Holme, a historian writing in Stuart England, a barber-surgeon could not “be termed a Barber till his Apron be about him.” The apron would serve to keep the barber-surgeon’s clothes clean and may have had a pocket for keeping tools close at hand, but its unlikely it would have been changed between operations or even washed regularly.

SHORT ROBE

MARK OF THE TRADE

In the 13th century, physicians adopted long robes to distinguish themselves from barber-surgeons. Barbers were nicknamed “surgeons of the short robe.” While the doctors were university educated, barber-surgeons learnt their skills on the job as apprentices.