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Mountain Man Monday 3/10 #8361376 03/10/25 07:35 AM 03/10/25 07:35 AM
Joined: Oct 2009 Posts: 7,853 east central WI K k snow OP trapper
k snow OP trapper K Joined: Oct 2009 Posts: 7,853 east central WI	Medical knowledge and expertise was rare in the Western mountains. Mostly it consisted of stop the bleeding and hope they live. One example of trial by fire doctoring came when Jedediah Smith was attacked by a grizzly bear while travelling in the Powder River country in 1824, and James Clyman played the part of field surgeon to his wounded captain. breaking several of his ribs and cutting his head badly none of us having any sugical Knowledge what was to be done one Said come take hold and he wuld say why not you so it went around I asked Capt what was best he said one or 2 for water and if you have a needle and thread git it out and sew up my wounds around my head which was bleeding freely I got a pair of scissors and cut off his hair and then began my first Job of dessing wounds upon examination I the bear had taken nearly all his head in his capcious mouth close to his left eye on one side and clos to his right ear on the other and laid the skull bare to near the crown of the head leaving a white streak whare his teeth passed one of his ears was torn from his head out to the outer rim after stitching all the other wounds in the best way I was capabl and according to the captains directions the ear being the last I told him I could do nothing for his Eare 0 you must try to stich up some way or other said he then I put in my needle stiching it through and through and over and over laying the lacerated parts togather as nice as I could with my hands A portrait of Jedediah Smith.

Re: Mountain Man Monday 3/10 [Re: k snow] #8361430 03/10/25 09:36 AM 03/10/25 09:36 AM
Joined: Dec 2019 Posts: 2,473 Iowa C CTRAPS trapper
CTRAPS trapper C Joined: Dec 2019 Posts: 2,473 Iowa	Wow, the surgery to repair the wounds must have been nearly as brutal as the mauling. Life Member: ITA, IBA & NRA. Member of SA, MTA, FTA & NTA

Re: Mountain Man Monday 3/10 [Re: CTRAPS] #8361436 03/10/25 10:03 AM 03/10/25 10:03 AM
Joined: Oct 2009 Posts: 7,853 east central WI K k snow OP trapper
k snow OP trapper K Joined: Oct 2009 Posts: 7,853 east central WI	Originally Posted by CTRAPS Wow, the surgery to repair the wounds must have been nearly as brutal as the mauling. Sometimes there was alcohol to numb the pain a bit. Here, Captain Bonneville stitches up a leg wound after the trapper was thrown off a horse: Here the wounded man was stretched upon buffalo skins, and the captain, who officiated on all occasions as doctor and surgeon to the party, proceeded to examine his wounds. The principal one was a long and deep gash in the thigh, which reached to the bone. Calling for a needle and thread, the captain now prepared to sew up the wound, admonishing the patient to submit to the operation with becoming fortitude. His gayety was at an end; he could no longer summon up even a forced smile; and, at the first puncture of the needle, flinched so piteously, that the captain was obliged to pause, and to order him a powerful dose of alcohol. This somewhat rallied up his spirit and warmed his heart; all the time of the operation, however, he kept his eyes riveted on the wound, with his teeth set, and a whimsical wincing of the countenance, that occasionally gave his nose something of its usual comic curl. When the wound was fairly closed, the captain washed it with rum, and administered a second dose of the same to the patient, who was tucked in for the night, and advised to compose himself to sleep.

Re: Mountain Man Monday 3/10 [Re: k snow] #8361446 03/10/25 10:29 AM 03/10/25 10:29 AM
Joined: Mar 2010 Posts: 3,267 wyoming southeast D danvee trapper
danvee trapper D Joined: Mar 2010 Posts: 3,267 wyoming southeast	Better than to be the surgeon or Dr than the patient. Cant imagine how many died because of infection, I have read about how many died in the civil war due to infection amputaition was about the only solution.

Re: Mountain Man Monday 3/10 [Re: k snow] #8361456 03/10/25 10:43 AM 03/10/25 10:43 AM
Joined: Dec 2006 Posts: 12,756 Oregon beaverpeeler trapper
beaverpeeler trapper Joined: Dec 2006 Posts: 12,756 Oregon	Yep. alcohol was a staple in the medicine chest. I was also intrigued by an account in one of the early Hudson Bay brigades led by either Ross or Peter Skene Ogden where several of the men fell sick from eating beavers that had been feeding on poison parsnip (water hemlock). This happened on the aptly named Malade River in Idaho. They were treated with a mixture of gunpowder and pepper and something else I can’t remember. I don’t know if they were aware that the sulfur in the gunpowder is a powerful antibacterial. The men did eventually recover. My fear of moving stairs is escalating!

Re: Mountain Man Monday 3/10 [Re: beaverpeeler] #8361462 03/10/25 10:52 AM 03/10/25 10:52 AM
Joined: Oct 2009 Posts: 7,853 east central WI K k snow OP trapper
k snow OP trapper K Joined: Oct 2009 Posts: 7,853 east central WI	Originally Posted by beaverpeeler Yep. alcohol was a staple in the medicine chest. I was also intrigued by an account in one of the early Hudson Bay brigades led by either Ross or Peter Skene Ogden where several of the men fell sick from eating beavers that had been feeding on poison parsnip (water hemlock). This happened on the aptly named Malade River in Idaho. They were treated with a mixture of gunpowder and pepper and something else I can’t remember. I don’t know if they were aware that the sulfur in the gunpowder is a powerful antibacterial. The men did eventually recover. Here's Russell describing the naming of the Malade, or Sick, River: fell onto a stream called “Malade” or Sick river which empties into Bear river about 10 Mls from the mouth. This stream takes its name from the Beaver which inhabit it living on poison roots. Those who eat their meat in a few hours become sick at the stomach and the whole system is filled with cramps and severe pains but I have never known or heard of a persons dying with this disease I'll dig some to see if I can find the reference about treating it with gunpowder.

Re: Mountain Man Monday 3/10 [Re: k snow] #8361465 03/10/25 11:05 AM 03/10/25 11:05 AM
Joined: Dec 2006 Posts: 12,756 Oregon beaverpeeler trapper
beaverpeeler trapper Joined: Dec 2006 Posts: 12,756 Oregon	I think it was actually Alexander Ross' Hudson Bay Brigade of 1824 that I was referencing. My fear of moving stairs is escalating!

Re: Mountain Man Monday 3/10 [Re: beaverpeeler] #8361467 03/10/25 11:07 AM 03/10/25 11:07 AM
Joined: Oct 2009 Posts: 7,853 east central WI K k snow OP trapper
k snow OP trapper K Joined: Oct 2009 Posts: 7,853 east central WI	Originally Posted by beaverpeeler I think it was actually Alexander Ross' Hudson Bay Brigade of 1824 that I was referencing. I'll have to dig for that then. I don't have near as much material on the big (British) companies as I do the American trappers, or the Great Lakes area.

Re: Mountain Man Monday 3/10 [Re: k snow] #8361483 03/10/25 11:29 AM 03/10/25 11:29 AM
Joined: Dec 2009 Posts: 22,559 The Hill Country of Texas Leftlane "HOSS"
Leftlane "HOSS" Joined: Dec 2009 Posts: 22,559 The Hill Country of Texas	I used to think I wished I could have been a mountain man but one injury would make a guy wish he'd gone to college. ï¿½Whatï¿½s good for me may not be good for the weak minded.ï¿½ Captain Gus McCrae- Texas Rangers

Re: Mountain Man Monday 3/10 [Re: Leftlane] #8361486 03/10/25 11:33 AM 03/10/25 11:33 AM
Joined: Oct 2009 Posts: 7,853 east central WI K k snow OP trapper
k snow OP trapper K Joined: Oct 2009 Posts: 7,853 east central WI	Originally Posted by Leftlane I used to think I wished I could have been a mountain man but one injury would make a guy wish he'd gone to college. I agree completely. I like to play/reenact the times, but I like almost all the modern conveniences I have, like medicine, indoor plumbing and a freezer full of meat.

Re: Mountain Man Monday 3/10 [Re: k snow] #8361492 03/10/25 11:56 AM 03/10/25 11:56 AM
Joined: Dec 2006 Posts: 12,756 Oregon beaverpeeler trapper
beaverpeeler trapper Joined: Dec 2006 Posts: 12,756 Oregon	I'm no good at pasting or whatever it is but here is a screen shot that references the Malade river incident: My fear of moving stairs is escalating!

Re: Mountain Man Monday 3/10 [Re: k snow] #8361503 03/10/25 12:16 PM 03/10/25 12:16 PM
Joined: Dec 2006 Posts: 12,756 Oregon beaverpeeler trapper
beaverpeeler trapper Joined: Dec 2006 Posts: 12,756 Oregon	Originally I read the account from Alexander Ross' book: "Fur Hunters of the Far West" which he published in 1855. K, you're missing out if you don't catch up on what's been published by and about the Canadian trappers that worked the rockies. In general they kept far more inclusive records of what they saw and did. My fear of moving stairs is escalating!

Re: Mountain Man Monday 3/10 [Re: k snow] #8361506 03/10/25 12:17 PM 03/10/25 12:17 PM
Joined: Oct 2009 Posts: 7,853 east central WI K k snow OP trapper
k snow OP trapper K Joined: Oct 2009 Posts: 7,853 east central WI	Very interesting. I have two versions of Ross's journal of an 1824 expedition, and neither one mentions that. I will keep digging.

Re: Mountain Man Monday 3/10 [Re: k snow] #8361613 03/10/25 03:15 PM 03/10/25 03:15 PM
Joined: Dec 2006 Posts: 12,756 Oregon beaverpeeler trapper
beaverpeeler trapper Joined: Dec 2006 Posts: 12,756 Oregon	I should say "I think" I read that in Fur Hunters of the Far West. I loaned that book out to somebody so I can't verify it at the moment. My fear of moving stairs is escalating!

Re: Mountain Man Monday 3/10 [Re: beaverpeeler] #8361628 03/10/25 03:47 PM 03/10/25 03:47 PM
Joined: Oct 2009 Posts: 7,853 east central WI K k snow OP trapper
k snow OP trapper K Joined: Oct 2009 Posts: 7,853 east central WI	Originally Posted by beaverpeeler I should say "I think" I read that in Fur Hunters of the Far West. I loaned that book out to somebody so I can't verify it at the moment. So many books, so little time. And with the weather warming up, my reading time is disappearing quickly.

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