John of Vigo (also Giovanni de Vigo, Joannes de Vigo, Jean de Vigo, Juan de Vigo, ca. 1450s–1520s) was a Spanish Renaissance pioneer of chirurgy.

His treatise Of Wounds in General is one of the earliest discussions of the treatment of wounds caused by firearms. He assumes that the victims of such wounds are poisoned by gunpowder and recommends treatment with boiling oil in order to counteract the poison.

Ambroise Paré in 1536, as surgeon to colonel-general Mareschal de Montejan discovered that such treatment was counter-productive and recommends different treatments. He declared

beyond my hope, I found those upon whom I had put the digestive medicament feeling little pain, and their wounds without inflammation or swelling, having rested fairly well throughout the night; the others to whom I had applied the said boiling oil, I found feverish, with great pain and swelling about their wounds. Then I resolved with myself never more to burn thus cruelly poor men wounded with gunshot."[1]

[edit] See also

• History of surgery
• Gunpowder warfare
• Field surgery

[edit] External links

• Juan de Vigo, TEORICA Y PRACTICA EN CIRUGIA. Perpiñan, Luys Roure

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