When Edward gets sick, the Hadfields send for an expensive barber-surgeon who incorrectly diagnoses him and administers a harmful treatment of leeches. Barber-surgeons were highly respected and considered knowledgeable, but much of the time they did more harm than good, as opposed to herbal healers like Mem and Anys Gowdie, who were suspected of witchcraft but could provide real help.
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Barber-surgeon Character Timeline in Year of Wonders
The timeline below shows where the character Barber-surgeon appears in Year of Wonders. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Part 2: Rat-Fall
...Hadfield, who is sick with a fever. However, the Hadfields have sent for an expensive barber-surgeon who dismisses Mem as uneducated and unknowledgeable. Anna asks the surgeon if Edward could have...
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