Chapter 204 Medieval Court
The County of Tripoli was the last of the Crusader states to be established.
Its theoretical founder was Raymond IV, Count of Toulouse. After he conquered the holy city of Jerusalem, he was nominated as king by those around him.
But Raymond IV, Count of Toulouse, may have felt that Jerusalem was an unlucky place, so he declined.
Then, those nobles turned their heads and supported Godfrey as king.
Afterwards, after a series of adventures, Raymond chose to besiege the city of Tripoli in an attempt to establish a new country for himself.
But before Tripoli was captured, Raymond was gone...
It was not until more than four years after Raymond's death that Tripoli was captured.
Just like the Kingdom of Jerusalem, the County of Tripoli is also a state in which Franks occupy the ruling class and a large number of Orthodox Christians and Muslims serve as the main body of society.
The arrival of the Franks did not fundamentally change the social structure.
But it also provides a higher level of arbiter of social order.
There is a saying that compared with the science and technology of Arab civilization, the Arabs' political system construction ability is really inferior... They are the objects of ridicule by the Mongols.
Therefore, the Leper King’s claim that he had brought order to Palestine was not unfounded.
After having a relatively mature ruling structure, someone reported to the local lord that Garris was practicing illegal medicine, and it was actually accepted!
The center of Botlen Territory is the town of Botlen, and the center of the town is a square.
The sun is shining brightly in April. This is spring in Palestine, the end of the rainy season and the beginning of the dry season.
The wheat has already bear fruit, and this is the last leisure before harvest.
The court was set up on a temporary wooden platform, with a lord's family crest flag behind it, flapping in the wind.
The square was crowded with townspeople who came to watch, including women, children, traders, and craftsmen.
The medieval court was a very abstract thing that was not limited to time, place, or organizational form...
The nobles had their baronial courts, the estates had their manorial courts, the cities had their civil courts, the Italians had their Italian courts, and the Saracens had their Saracen courts.
In the land of Syria and Palestine, you can find a large number of non-overlapping court organizations. Their responsible persons, court opening times, and target groups are basically inconsistent.
The court currently in session is presided over by the lord himself, and it is conducted roughly once every year or half a year to routinely review and resolve conflicts and disputes between ethnic groups and classes in the territory.
Such courts usually meet only once a long time and for a long time.
Because it is not a permanent court, and a judgment may not be made in court, a case may drag on for several years or until the plaintiff dies.
However, since in the end it is the lord or the lord's representative who comes to personally review the matter, it can be regarded as the most authoritative court in the territory.
Therefore, people nearby will also come to watch.
Of course, no matter what the case, it will take a long time to get the result.
In certain situations where the defendant is unable to speak in defense, the lord's court can handle cases very efficiently.
"I pronounce sentence! This pig killed a young child and gnawed on the body. He is sentenced to hanging! He will also be stewed into soup and distributed to everyone here!"
In the dock, the domestic pig that was forced to raise its forelimbs and rest on the railing grunted a few times, as if to express its protest.
But obviously, the humans present did not understand its meaning, but after hearing that they could share a pig, they started cheering and calling the name of Lord Priwan.
At the same time, because of this verdict, the guards on the side were also in trouble, not knowing how to hang a pig on the gallows...
After the pig was dragged away by its forelimbs while screaming, another Frank came forward and signaled that he wanted to accuse.
All the townspeople present knew that this guy was called Clovis, and he was the town's doctor and barber.
Uh, but maybe being a barber is my job.
In the 12th century, due to certain Christian doctrines that opposed bloodshed, the church began to restrict the monks in the church from practicing medicine.
Instead, the barbers in the monastery, who helped the monks shape their hair with Mediterranean hair styles, began to take over the responsibilities of the surgeons.
The person Clovis wanted to sue was also a doctor. The doctor had just arrived in town and was widely praised for his low medical prices.
Because of the young doctor, Clovis's business has been difficult in the past two weeks.
In this case, he directly accused the new doctor in court of practicing medicine illegally!
After hearing Dr. Clovis's accusation, Privan, the lord of Botlen Territory, scratched the back of his head and felt that this matter was a bit troublesome.
The concept of illegal medical practice is quite abstract...
The opposite of illegal medical practice is legal medical practice.
But do the Franks have the concept of legally practicing medicine?
Just when Lord Priwan was about to refuse to accept the accusation, someone else stood up and shouted to Priwan.
"Lord! That quack doctor Garris did a lot of harm to people! Someone's hand was pus-filled and inflamed, but he refused to amputate it! That means the patient was lucky enough to resist. What if he dragged the patient away because he didn't amputate it? What to do if you die?”
Lord Priwan, it's even more difficult to handle now, because it doesn't seem to have anything to do with the illegal practice of medicine.
It's quite common for patients to be put to death these days. Wouldn't it be great if the patient could survive without amputation?
But seeing that more and more unscrupulous people in the audience are coming forward to accuse Garris, it seems inappropriate if they really don't accept them.
Privan then sent guards to invite Gellis over.
After waiting for a while, everyone in the town square saw a young man, a strong man, dragging the guards sent by Puliwan to the left and right, and walking over by their collars.
This scene made everyone in the square fall into silence.
After all, no one thought that what Garris showed was not the temperament of a doctor, but a kind of anger that chose others to eat.
Fortunately, Garris did not resist this appearance in court.
So Privan started going through the process, hoping to end the case as soon as possible.
"Ahem, Garris."
"Here."
"Clovis, the barber, has accused you of practicing medicine illegally and causing harm to other people's lives. Do you plead guilty?"
"I plead not guilty."
"Barber Clovis, Garris refuses to plead guilty, do you have anything to add?"
"Sir, I am a monk who studied under the Jesuits! He has medical skills passed down from the monastery. I want to know why he, a foreigner, can practice medicine freely in our place!"
Listening to Clovis's words, Garris couldn't help but roll his eyes.
To put it bluntly, he never thought that one day he would actually need that roll of parchment.
"Sir, I need to defend myself. I have a medical license!"
With that said, Garris took out a roll of certificates from the satchel he was carrying.
Then he saw Priwan on the stage raise his eyebrows and become interested. He had heard about Arab doctors having medical licenses.
But, when did Garris, a Frank, have a medical license?
Could it be that this person once went to Cairo or Damascus to study?
Would those Muslims accept a Christian as a student?
Because he was really curious, Priwan asked a guard to take the parchment from Garis.
After taking a glance at it, he couldn't help but take a breath. It was actually a formal one, something he didn't expect.
The content of this document is written in Latin and can be said to be very detailed.
After thinking for a moment, Privan simply read it out in front of everyone.
"It is hereby granted to: Gairis, male, a loyal citizen of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, who studied medicine at the Al-Hadi School in his country, and who has been approved by the Royal Medical Guild and the Church, is hereby granted a license to practice medicine."
"1. Grant of rights"
"As of today, Gellis has obtained the right to legally practice medicine in the Kingdom of Jerusalem and its vassal territories."
"Including the following actions: diagnosing disease, performing surgical procedures, administering pharmaceuticals..."
"2. Guidelines for practicing medicine..."
"3. Prohibitions and Restrictions..."
"4. Punishment for violating the terms..."
"...If a patient dies due to improper medical practice, the judgment shall be made by the Church of the Kingdom of Jerusalem."
"This license is jointly approved by the Medical Guild of the Kingdom of Jerusalem and the Church, and is hereby issued and ordered to be observed in order to maintain justice in health and faith."
"Time: October 23rd, one thousand one hundred and eighty-seven years"
"Authorized by: Isabella de Jerusalem-Anjou, Gareth de Villeroy, Abdullah bin Majid"
This medical license not only contains the name of the license holder, practicing qualifications, scope of practice, code of conduct, but also details of penalties for violating the terms.
It can be said that this is no longer a certification of medical qualifications, but also a legal document that restricts doctors' behavior.
And because the seal of "Jerusalem-Anjou" is stamped on it, it is obviously authorized by the royal family of the Kingdom of Jerusalem.
The County of Tripoli, since the first Earl of Tripoli established the country, has sworn allegiance to the King of Jerusalem and is a vassal of the Kingdom of Jerusalem.
As a vassal of the Earl of Tripoli, he naturally had no reason to deny the medical license issued by the suzerain.
However, Privan still noticed something wrong, so he asked Garris in the audience:
"Why is there a person named Garris among the licensors?"
Facing Privan's question, Garris frankly told part of the truth.
"Ah, my lord, you may not have heard of it. Alhadi School is a school that was founded not long ago. It teaches medicine, theology, philosophy, and natural science. Its principal is Gareth de Villeroy."< br>
"Oh, it turns out they have the same name." Privan didn't think too much about it. After all, given the Frankish way of naming these days, it's quite normal to have the same name.
When Privan finished reciting the contents of the medical license, he looked at the barber Clovis.
"Dr. Garris has taken out his medical license, but the question is, do you have a medical license? Then, your accusation can probably be regarded as... a false accusation"
While speaking, Priwan also yawned.
Now, the pressure is on Clovis, which is different from later generations.
Today's version of the son is not a barber, and the price of false accusation is extremely serious.
Clovis originally thought that no one had anything to prove his identity as a doctor.
As long as he can attract enough support and create enough momentum, he should be able to influence Lord Priwan's judgment, even if he cannot make a judgment in court.
That can also delay time. As long as Garris is unable to practice medicine normally in the small town, this foreign doctor will have to leave sooner or later.
But now, who would have thought that you actually have a medical license!
Clovis found it incredible, but did not dare to question Privan.
In this situation, once he was declared to have made a false accusation, according to Privan's character, Clovis felt that he would probably bleed a lot.
After all, before becoming a lord, Privan was actually a businessman in the city-state of Pisa in Italy...
Under this situation, Clovis's head began to spin rapidly.
After thinking of something to say, he immediately spoke hurriedly like a barrage of words!
"Leave aside the piece of paper that is your medical license. It is just a matter of form. The key lies in whether the medical skills themselves can save people."
"A truly good doctor should not rely on a certificate to prove his ability. A medical license is nothing more than the power and system endorsing him."
"I stood up and accused him of practicing medicine illegally. This was just my doubts about his medical skills, and it was out of the position of being responsible for the health of the patients."
"Who cares about that license! What patients need more is a truly capable doctor, not someone who only uses a certificate as a cover!"
Privan clicked his tongue. Listening to Clovis's words, he actually knew that this guy was going to struggle to the death.
But life is so boring these days, why not have some fun?
Just like when he tried a pig before and sentenced it to hanging, and then stewed it into broth and distributed it to the whole town.
Priwan didn't have any strong thoughts about these things, he just found them interesting and wanted to bring his subjects to have fun together.
"I order the two doctors to immediately organize a free clinic to treat patients in the town for free. Based on the results of the treatment, the jury will declare one of you to be practicing medicine illegally!"
Bang!
Priwan clenched his fist and knocked on the table, indicating that today's trial was over.
But it is also the beginning of the carnival for the townspeople. After all, the free clinic is here!
Before the free clinic, Garris glanced at Clovis, whose legs were trembling, and knew that this guy was responsible for all this.
Considering the order Privan gave, it wasn't actually that bad for Garris.
In addition, Privan's reputation in the territory was actually quite good, so he felt that he could still give Privan a little favor, and there was no need to directly take down the Clovis guy.
Privan is actually a pretty interesting guy.
As far as Garris knew, Privan had a feud with Gerald, the Grand Master of the Knights Templar.
Gerald, the grand master of the Knights Templar, came to the Holy Land when he was young.
Because Gerald is a good young man who can be beaten even among knights, Raymond III, Earl of Tripoli, once promised Gerald to help him arrange a good marriage to the only daughter of Lord Bertram. Lucia.
But later, this guy Privan stepped in and offered Raymond an amount of gold equal to Lucia's weight in order to get the marriage.
This astonishing betrothal gift amounted to 10,000 bezant gold coins, which was almost 10,000 gold dinars.
From this we can see that Lucia’s weight may be 42 kilograms and 84 pounds.
Privain demonstrated his wealth, and Gerald became seriously ill as a result of the incident, after which he vowed to become a Templar.
Then, Gerald, who was loved by Privan, became the Grand Master of the Knights Templar.
Now, the Earl of Tripoli and Privain are no longer in trouble.
After all, as the Grand Master of the Knights Templar, he is someone who can really influence the political situation of the kingdom.
This really means: [Thirty years in Hedong and thirty years in Hexi, don’t bully young people into poverty! 】
But those things that have happened in the past have nothing to do with Garris today.
He was more concerned with the way Priwan ruled.
Privan was different from the traditional Frankish nobles. Garris discovered that the reason why this guy sought a lordship was actually to do business.
Businessmen have money, but they have to pay taxes, and the taxes are extremely high!
So how to solve this problem?
Simple, change from the party paying taxes to the party collecting taxes, and the problem is solved!
Bertram is a coastal town with its own port and is able to conduct certain commercial transactions.
Although it can't compete with the nearby Port of Tripoli, it is at least Privan's own territory. With the help of his fellow Italians, it is very convenient to do all kinds of business on weekdays, which can really make a lot of money every day.
Due to the development of business, the town of Botlen has developed well in recent years, with more jobs and more taxes collected by him.
In addition, Privan is a real businessman and does not live by robbing the people. After all, how much money does a poor guy have?
Is he, Privan, the one who needs that little money?
If the people rebelled because of that little money, wouldn't Pulvan have to spend money to hire people to suppress it?
After calculating the risks and benefits, Privan made a decision that went against the traditions of feudal lords.
Therefore, whether it is the Franks, local Saracens or Greeks in the town, they actually support Privan.
In a sense, Privan is making money in a wise way.
There is a saying that Garris has been to so many places and met so many lords, and Plivan is the most anthropomorphic of the lords he has come into contact with.
Even Balian, in a sense, is actually a staunch fighter for feudalism. However, because Gaillis's personality was too buggy, Balian took another path.
Out of love for talents, Garris did not intend to deal with Privan too violently.
This current situation is also quite helpful for Garris.
The two doctors provided free consultation, which naturally shocked everyone in the town.
Regardless of whether you are sick or not, it is good to come and watch the fun, and it is free.
Gallis's diagnostic plan is actually to look, hear, and ask.
On the Clovis side, it's very abstract.
At the beginning, he really didn't expect that things would develop to this point.
But now, there was no place to take the regret medicine. But unlike Garris, Clovis's mind turned around and he wanted to figure out how to solve this problem.
Whether a person is sick or not is actually an objective reality; but judging whether a person's disease has been cured and whether a person's medical skills are excellent are actually subjective judgments.
Clovis naturally did not understand subjective and objective dialectical thinking and could not really think through it.
But unexpectedly, he had already grasped the key point: [The jury will declare one of you to be practicing medicine illegally]
Does the jury understand medical skills?
Know a hammer!
They are just a group of laymen. How do they know whether a person is sick, what kind of disease he has, and how do they know if the disease has been cured?
Since in the small town of Botlen, he and Garris were the only two people who knew medical skills, and there was no expert as a third party to arbitrate.
Then this matter can be done.
Finding a random excuse to shit, Clovis left the venue for a while, and when he came back he felt confident.
Clovis first pretended to treat many people, killing time with some useless words.
During this process, suddenly there was a person in the crowd who was not very familiar to everyone. Amidst the exclamations of the people on the side, his whole body trembled and his eyes became distracted.
Then I saw this guy lying on the ground, twitching and shaking all over, and he was foaming at the mouth in a very scary way!
"Clovis! Clovis! Something happened to someone here! Someone is crazy here! Is this person possessed?"
Clovis raised his head and glanced over, then pretended to leave his position.
Standing in front of a crowd of onlookers, he swore that he specializes in treating difficult and complicated diseases, especially hysteria, which ordinary doctors have no way of treating, and he also promised to "cure the disease at his fingertips."
He talked about his miraculous treatment methods to the onlookers, and his words were so confident that people almost believed him.
At this moment Clovis waved his hands and muttered words, as if he was reciting some exorcism spell, and then suddenly shouted loudly: "The evils are causing chaos, and they need a heavy blow to clear them out!"
As he spoke, he slapped the patient's back several times with lightning speed, and then pinched the patient's shoulders hard, as if to "force" the disease out.
The patient was in pain and screamed several times, which made everyone around him feel terrified.
Immediately afterwards, Clovis announced that the disease required the traditional doctor's technique of "bloodletting."
Therefore, he took out the sharp knife he carried with him and slashed the patient's wrist.
While the blood was pouring out, Clovis was still preaching medical theories loudly, and everyone watched in a daze.
Phlebotomy aims to cure various diseases by draining a patient's blood.
This therapy was derived from the humoral theory, which held that there were four humors in the human body: blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile.
Health is considered to be the balance of these four humors, while disease is seen as the result of an imbalance of the humors.
In the Middle Ages, bloodletting was not only used to treat diseases, but was even considered a routine health care method.
So much so that many people undergo bloodletting regularly in order to stay healthy.
Therefore, Clovis's move really frightened the people on the scene. Even the lord Privan walked down from the stage, watched Clovis's move, and applauded loudly.
On the other side, Garris frowned. He did not pay attention to Clovis's performance, but communicated with the patient in front of him and repeatedly confirmed some things.
Garris suspected that the young man in front of him was about to die.
Modern-day Botrun, also known as the city of Batrun, Lebanon
(End of chapter)