Thread by @g0blinegg

This awesome medical apparatus changed the history of England. During the battle of Shrewsbury, 16 year old heir to the throne, Prince Henry was shot in the face with an arrow. No time was wasted getting the best medical attention for the Prince, namely John Bradmore.

Bradmore was in prison for forging coins, but that didn’t matter now he was released and given the task of saving the future king of England. Physicians managed to locate the arrowhead and remove the shaft but were unable to remove the head. They left it embedded in the skull.

Bradmore used honey to clean the wound, which is effective in preventing infections due to its antiseptic properties. It also forms a barrier to stop nasty bacteria from getting in in the first place.

He then set to work, creating a special tool to remove the arrowhead.

With the help of a trusted blacksmith, the pair created a tool. The implement consisted of a pair of tongs, but with a third tube in the middle. Bradmore enlarged the wound to make it safe to use the tool, as if he would have simply stuck it in, it would make the situation worse

To do this, he used probes that gradually increased in size over a period of days. He then inserted the tube into the wound, fished around as gently as possible
until he found the arrowhead, which was very deep.

He then connected the arrowhead
to the end of the middle tube, via the hole for the arrowshaft. He used the outer prongs to grab hold of the arrowhead and extracted it.

The arrow was out!

Finally, Bradmore ordered the wound to be washed, honey applied, and used probes that gradually decreased in size to induce the wound to heal.

Henry V was left with a permanent scar, but he lived.