The Renaissance Wound Man: Parallels with today's understanding of wound repair

The image of the "Wound Man" first appeared in surgical texts from the late fourteenth century where it served as an illustrated guide to what medical practitioners might be called upon to treat. Across various incarnations, the Wound Man was depicted as suffering from wide-ranging injuries including cut and stab wounds, dog bites, thorn scratches, and insect stings. This article examines the figure of the Renaissance Wound Man, focusing in particular on the illustration featured in Hans von Gersdorff's Feldtbuch der Wundartzney (Field Book of Wound Medicine) which was first published in 1517. Through our consideration of this image and its accompanying text, we explore the relationship between von Gersdorff's early approaches to wound healing and modern treatment of wounds. Combining our expertise in sixteenth-century German medical practice and current scientific and clinical approaches, we discuss the differences and surprising similarities between the two. Von Gersdorff's text reveals an early understanding of anesthesia/analgesia, debridement, inflammation reduction, infection prevention, wound scarring, and fracture management. We discuss each topic separately, considering how von Gersdorff's advice relates to modern clinical practice and scientific understanding.