Hugh Gibbons' references and extra information
PP
hunnybone for March 2012

for pharmaceutical physicians, colleagues and friends

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There are four recent and very moving interviews with Rick here

 

 

 

    Click for article

Two Jolly Good Physicians
 


 
   

 

 

This is further reading and information on the PP article in March 2012 featuring two military doctors: Rick Jolly of the Royal Marines; and his counterpart of centuries ago, Anicius Ingenuus, also in a crack unit - the First Cohort of Tungrian Auxiliaries based by Hadrian's Wall.

Surgeon Captain Rick Jolly OBE
A good way to find Rick's books is through a sweep of Amazon or the like. You're looking for any of these below.

Jackspeak is about Royal Navy and Royal Marine slang. To while away the time as a doctor on board aircraft carriers and other postings, Rick gathered this huge, amusing and historically fascinating catalogue of terminology on common use by all ranks.

The Red & Green Life Machine is about military medicine in the Falklands War - and in particular Rick's team right in the heart of frightening battles. It's an exceptional story of human kindness and compassion - for which Rick was decorated by both sides.

In Confidence is the collection of staff reports from all the services that Rick gathered as a change from Jackspeak and Red & Green. They make a great read for anyone interested in the human side of management.

Jackspeak: A Guide to British Naval Slang and Usage The Red and Green Life Machine In Confidence: The British Armed Forces Guide to Personnel & Fitness Reporting

You can see more about Rick at http://www.rickjolly.com/node/2 and Wikipedia, of course.

For those of you not in easy reach of Torpoint near Plymouth, e-mail doc@rickjolly.com


   

 

 
   

Anicius Ingenuus
Medicus attached to the First Cohort of Tungrians
based at Chester-in-the-Wall, Northumberland,
around 207CE

An early reference can be found at
www.bmj.com/content/1/631/111.full.pdf

 
   


 

The tombstone is now in Newcastle Museum.  The carving on buff limestone is quite elaborate and would have been relatively expensive. It's evidence that both Legions and auxiliary troops had good medical care.

The Tungrians were auxiliaries originally raised in Belgium. The First Cohort was the lead unit, double in size to the others.


Further reading on Roman medicine
 

 
   
Doctors and Diseases in the Roman Empire
by historian Ralph Jackson has an in-depth chapter on The Surgeon and the Roman Army. His view is that the Roman Army was the single most powerful agency in the spread of Greco-Roman medicine.
ISBN is 0-7141-1398-0


Roman Medicine
by historian Audrey Cruse
is also a very detailed tour of the topic.
ISBN is 0-7524-1461-5


On Trajan's Column, capsarii are depicted dressing the wounds of comrades wounded in battles against the Dacians. They have rolls of bandages in the capsa belt worn round the waist.  All soldiers seem to have been taught self-aid for close quarter combat - to let them rejoin the action as quickly as possible. If you can get to Rome, you can see a replica of the Column in the Victoria & Albert Museum in South Kensington, London.
 


For Medicine and Health Care in Roman Britain, Dr Nicholas Summerton - a genuine physician! - has assembled and examined the archaeological, epigraphic and literary evidence for health care in Roman Britain, set in the context of the Roman Empire. The book covers individual medical care, public health and the relationship between religion and medicine.
ISBN 10: 0747806640 / 0-7478-0664-0 or ISBN 13: 9780747806646


Legionary: the Roman Soldier's Manual by Philip Matysak stands out among the many fine books available on military matters in Roman times. The subtitle might have been: so you're thinking of joining the Army, then? It's a hard-nosed, practical and frequently funny guide - and a good read all round. There's an excellent section on the medical and other tests that recruits had to undergo.
ISBN is 978-0-500-25151-5


Hugh Gibbons has a talk on Roman Military Medicine available - given to a big variety of audiences including the War Studies Group at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, the Medical Society of London, Brading Museum, several Rotary and similar clubs, archaeological and historical societies and (in a more bloodthirsty version) primary schools. The latter takes them through the Probatio - the medical and other tests for all recruits.  Packed with illustrations and surprises.

 
   
 
   

PTSD in the Roman Army
Professor Aislinn Melchior, in the Department of Classics at the University of Puget Sound, Washington USA, has written a very thoughtful and hard-punching paper on this topic. Contact her at amelchior@pugetsound.edu

Here's Aislinn with Ali, another well-known hard puncher. Incidentally, In 1964, Ali failed the U.S. Armed Forces qualifying test because his writing and spelling skills were sub-par. He remarked: "I said I was the greatest, not the smartest."  However, in early 1966, the tests were revised and Ali was reclassified as 1A.

 

And for the take on today's issues

www.combatstress.org.uk
is the website of the UK's leading military charity specialising in the care of Veterans' mental health.


 
 
   

For more information at any time, contact
The Conductor of Just1, Hugh Gibbons

E-mail: hughgibbons@just1.org.uk
Tel: 01344 451847

Write: 75 Qualitas
Roman Hill
Bracknell
Berks RG12 7QG
United Kingdom