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Archiver > LANARK > 2005-12 > 1134756781


From: "Sarah Galbraith" <>
Subject: RE: [LKS] Death by "Gravel"
Date: Fri, 16 Dec 2005 18:13:53 -0000
In-Reply-To: <43A2F62B.8453.1CD509E@localhost>


For those interested in the messages about Gravel, here is a "remedy" from
'McNeil of Carskey', an edited version of an estate journal of 1703 - 1743.
The estate is in south Argyll.

"GRAVEL

Ane Excellent remedy for the gravel

Take ane quart of white wine & take into ane Glass yrof [thereof?] for nine
mornings nine slatters [woodlice, locally called slaters nowadays] being
dried & bruised into powder wt the juice of three [word illegible] onions
being strained through a clean cloath, also put ane ordinary Dram of brandy
into the Glass of white wine qch [which] quantity drink for the sd space of
Nine mornings & itt will cure yow. "

Thank heavens for modern medicine!

STG


-----Original Message-----
From: Marilyn Ainslie [mailto:]
Sent: 16 December 2005 17:15
To:
Subject: Re: [LKS] Death by "Gravel"


Ken,

See http://www.thornber.net/medicine/html/medgloss.html

"a disease characterised by small stones which are formed in the kidneys,
passed along the ureters to the bladder, and expelled with the urine."

ie kidney stones.

HTH

Marilyn

On 16 Dec 2005 at 11:30, wrote:

> I am cross-posting this to several Lists, hoping to find a Lister with
> knowledge of medical terms (presumably ancient ones).
>
> I have found several deaths listed, first in the Orkney OPRs and now in
some
> Perthshire OPRs, giving the cause of death as "of a Gravel". When I first
saw
> it a couple of years ago I thought it was a "one-off" odd expression. Now
I
> find several instances of it, and so realize it was not so uncommon.
>
> Can anyone explain the meaning of this? The cases I have found were all
in
> the 1600s and 1700s.
>
> Ken Harrison
> North Vancouver, Canada
>


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