Why chirurgean?
It means “hand work” and acknowledges the fact that surgeons are skilled with their hands. Part of the arms of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh includes the “seeing hand” — a hand with an eye in the palm — useful when the hand is inside a body cavity with no direct line of sight to the area of interest.
The quote below presses all my buttons
Acta Parliamentorum Caroli II A.D. 1670
Our Sovereign Lord & Estates of Parliament vnderftanding that the Airt of Chirurgearie is ane ancient worthy & free Airt moft neceffar for the healths & Lyves of His Mãties subjects And that the incorporation of the Chirurgeans & Barbars of Ed^ are ane able & famous incorporation whereby the Leidges have found large experience of ther abilities in peace & warr to ther great advantage…….
They being as Nurferies in thefe Airts to this our Soveraign Lords ancient Kingdom & for preventing the dangerous practice of ignorant and vnfkillfull people that afsumes the practifes of thefe Airts to the Lofe of the Lyves of His Mãties good Subjects which have bein too frequent …….