I wonder what it would be like to be a Hypochondriac during the Medieval era. "Hi, it's me again...look, could I get another one of those blood-lettings, I have a runny nose and think I might have the Black Plague. Say, does this hang nail look bad to you? Maybe you should just remove the whole arm just in case. Can I take some of these leaches home with me? Sometimes, I just need a quick fix to help me sleep at night".
Was amputation considered a medical breakthrough when it was first invented? It seems pretty primitive now, but I imagine the first person who thought of it was pretty proud of himself. "So this guy came in with athlete's foot and within 10 minutes, I completely healed him!"
In 2007, 66-year-old Al Hill amputated his leg below the knee using his pocketknife after the leg got stuck beneath a fallen tree he was cutting in California. I picture him sitting near the fireplace telling the story to his grand-kids only to have one of them ask, "Grandpa, why didn't you just use the knife to dig your leg out instead of cutting it off."
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