European Trends in the Development of Ukrainian Surgery of the Early Modern Era (On the Example of the Distribution of Professional Functions of Balvers and Hairdressers)

The article is devoted to the review of some aspects of the history of Ukrainian surgery of the early modern period, as one of the least studied subject sections and periods in the history of domestic medicine. In particular, on the basis of a significant array of documentary material (most of which is first introduced into scientific circulation), it is argued that in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries among Ukrainian surgeons, there was a division into "balvers" and "barbers", which was carried out in accordance with the peculiarities of their medical specialization. The etymology of the terms "balver" and "barber" is partially covered. Features of professional competencies of balvers and barbers are partially reconstructed. It is believed that the profession of barbers consisted in haircare and the so-called "minor surgery", while the balvers specialized in the treatment of severe injuries acquired in everyday life or during numerous armed conflicts. The list of diseases and injuries that were successfully treated by Ukrainian surgeons of that time is given. The division of surgeons into "higher" and "lower" in Western Europe (England, France, Italy, Germany) is partially covered. Based on the method of historical analogies, it is argued that the development of Ukrainian surgery corresponds to the general vector of development of European surgery. The way of spreading European principles of surgical practice in Ukraine is traced. It is emphasized that the terms "balver" and "barber" are completely independent, not synonymous, as Ukrainian and foreign (especially Polish and Belarusian) historiography claims to this day. On the example of successful cooperation of balvers and barbers, the question of the presence in the Ukrainian lands of the 16th–17th centuries of the effective healthcare system (in its original form) is raised. Specific examples refute some historical myths, including the ineffectiveness of medical care at the time and the ignorance and incompetence of physicians themselves. The need to continue research in the field of history of domestic surgery is emphasized.