The Wound Man is a surgical

diagram A diagram is a symbolic Depiction, representation of information using Visualization (graphics), visualization techniques. Diagrams have been used since prehistoric times on Cave painting, walls of caves, but became more prevalent during the Age o ...

which first appeared in European medical

manuscripts A manuscript (abbreviated MS for singular and MSS for plural) was, traditionally, any document written by hand or typewritten, as opposed to mechanically printed or reproduced in some indirect or automated way. More recently, the term has c ...

of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. The illustration acted as an annotated table of contents to guide the reader through various

injuries Injury is physiological damage to the living tissue of any organism, whether in humans, in other animals, or in plants. Injuries can be caused in many ways, including mechanically with penetration by sharp objects such as teeth or with b ...

and

diseases A disease is a particular abnormal condition that adversely affects the structure or function of all or part of an organism and is not immediately due to any external injury. Diseases are often known to be medical conditions that are asso ...

whose related cures could be found on the text's nearby pages. The image first appeared in a printed book in 1491 when it was included in the Venetian ''

Fasciculus medicinae ''Fasciculus Medicinae'' is a "bundle" of six independent and quite different medieval medical treatises. The collection, which existed only in two manuscripts (handwritten copies), was first printed in 1491 in Latin and came out in numerous ed ...

'', likely Europe's first printed medical miscellany. Thereafter it circulated widely in printed books until well into the seventeenth century. The Wound Man has since become a recognisable figure in popular culture.

Description

The Wound Man illustrates various injuries that a person might receive through war, accident, or disease: cuts and bruises from multiple weapons, rashes and pustules, thorn scratches, and the bites of venomous animals. The figure also includes some schematic anatomical outlines of several organs within his unusual, transparent abdomen. In earlier manuscript versions, the figure is surrounded by numbers and phrases which indicate where in the accompanying treatise a healer might find a particular helpful procedure. For instance, i
a German Wound Man
now in the

Wellcome Library The Wellcome Library is a free library and Museum based in central London. It was developed from the collection formed by Sir Henry Wellcome (1853–1936), whose personal wealth allowed him to create one of the most ambitious collections of the ...

, London (MS 49), the spider crawling up the man's thigh is labelled "''Wo eine spynne gesticht,'' 20" ("When a spider bites, 20"), directing the reader to paragraph 20 of the book for an appropriate cure. Similarly, written along the large spear piercing the figure's left side and penetrating into his stomach is the legend "''So der gross viscus wund wirt'', 14" ("If the large intestine is injured, 14"). Turning to the corresponding cure number 14, the reader finds: Despite these injuries, however, the Wound Man is still depicted as standing defiantly alive. This reaffirms the fact that the figure was not intended as a threatening one: instead it explained and glorified the cures and medical treatments available in the texts that he accompanied.

In popular culture

The Wound Man continues to be referenced in popular culture: In the 1980 novel '' Red Dragon'' by

Thomas Harris William Thomas Harris III (born September 22, 1940) is an American writer. He is the author of a series of suspense novels about Hannibal Lecter. The majority of his works have been adapted into films and television, including '' The Silence o ...

, it is mentioned that Will Graham was tipped off to the fact that

Hannibal Lecter Dr. Hannibal Lecter is a character created by American novelist Thomas Harris. Lecter is a cannibalistic serial killer and former forensic psychiatrist; after his incarceration, he is consulted by FBI agents Will Graham and Clarice Starling ...

was a serial killer from this diagram, as Lecter killed his sixth victim in this manner. A further reference to the diagram is made by the character

Clarice Starling Clarice M. Starling is a fictional character and protagonist of the novels '' The Silence of the Lambs'' (1988) and ''Hannibal'' (1999) by Thomas Harris. In the 1991 film adaptation of ''The Silence of the Lambs'', she was played by Jodie Foster ...

in the sequel novel ''

Hannibal Hannibal (; ; 247 – between 183 and 181 BC) was a Punic people, Carthaginian general and statesman who commanded the forces of Ancient Carthage, Carthage in their battle against the Roman Republic during the Second Punic War. Hannibal's fat ...

''. The Wound Man is also referenced in season 1, episode 6 of NBC's ''

'' TV series in 2013, and again visually and by name in season 2, episode 7 of the same show. The

Royal College of Emergency Medicine The Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) is an independent professional association of emergency physicians in the United Kingdom which sets standards of training and administers examinations for emergency medicine. The patron is the Anne, ...

uses a Wound Man as a

supporter In heraldry, supporters, sometimes referred to as ''attendants'', are figures or objects usually placed on either side of the shield and depicted holding it up. Historically, supporters were left to an individual's free choice and were assu ...

in its

heraldic achievement In heraldry, an achievement, armorial achievement or heraldic achievement (historical: hatchment) is a full display or depiction of all the heraldic components to which the bearer of a coat of arms is entitled. An achievement comprises not only ...

. The Wound Man from von Gersdorff's 1519 treatise is used as the cover of ''The Practical'' by Stone Franks. The Wound Man from von Gersdorff's 1519 treatise is used as the weapon list for the tabletop roleplaying game

Mörk Borg ''Mörk Borg'' (Swedish: literally ''Dark Castle'', officially translated ''Dark Fort''), stylised ''MÖRK BORG'', is an apocalyptic fantasy role-playing game published by Fria Ligan in 2020 that features dark themes inspired by heavy metal m ...

References

{{reflist History of medicine

Description

In popular culture

Further reading

References