| One of the biggest killers on the ancient battle field was...bacteria.
The Romans believed that pus was part of the healing process - in fact this wasn't challenged until the 1600's. Some surgeons even went as far as introducing a foreign body to induce pus in a wound that didn't have any!
Sterilisation of medical instruments was not introduced until the 1880's as did the wearing of gowns, masks and gloves. Amputations right up to WW1 had a high mortality rate because of post-op infection.
There weren't the modern anesthetics and the instruments were not razor sharp as they are today. In fact, "sawing motions" were referred to by ancient physicians for what today we call an incision. It wasn't uncommon for young patients to die of heart attack in surgery from the shear pain.
The ancients did understand that cauterisation could destroy infection but could not fight any resulting infection from the burns.
I think LeEnfield had it right - you were OK if you were on the winning side. But I think he might have added "provided you didn't have any injuries" |