Archaeologists from Lund University, Sweden have analyzed
the remains of a disabled individual from late Middle Ages and reported the
care he got after his disability.
The skeleton, referred to as individual 2399 unearthed from
Trinitatis cemetry, belonged to a man 30 years of age who got his left thigh
bone fractured near the knee approximately 10 years before his death. 3D
modelling and radiography were employed to assess the damage to the knee. The
injury is believed to be caused by a kick of a horse or a heavy object falling
on his knees. Individual 2399 would have required a mobility aid for the rest
of his life.
The study reported that the individual 2399 received
considerable short term and long term care. After the injury, the individual
was given forms of pain relief available which may have included opium, alcohol
or lavender oil ointments. The individual would also have required opening the
wound to drain the pus and control inflammation.
The research was published in Open Archaeology.
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