Patrick O'Brian
Posted by P. Bingham on September 13, 1998 at 23:42:18:
In response to Peruvian Bark, written by Caroline on September 02, 1998 at 12:59:10
Not that you will ever see this message being so far down...
but Patrick O'Brian has Dr, Maturine (in his Jack Aubrey series) use this bark quite often, while a physician in the Navy. Which was why I had thought about it in the first place, Patrick O'Brian being well known to have thourough research. So I would think that it was often used by the British Navy and likely the Army too. And medicine's were not all that slow to get around, once on the European mainland, with the various medical groups and speeches that these physicians were ever participating in. In other words, it was not necessary for a book to be published for a physician's work to be known. The doctors had merely to attend one of the physician's lectures. And though there was a war going on, it did not stop these lectures and British Doctors were known to have travelled to France especially, to attend these things. And, once the bark is used on the continent, the East Indies, India, etc., news travelled fast.
But, to be truthful, that is not to say that the bark's use was very common in the Army & Navy, as Dr. Maturin was a physician and most ship's doctors were not physicians. And I cannot say what was privy to a physician was necessarily privy to the lower strata. There are, however, instances in Patrick O'Brian's books where other doctors have recommended this bark, or brought it out of their bag as if it grew in there.
Patricia
- ;-)(nfm) Caroline 09:12:12 9/16/98
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