11/16/2024
I wasn’t able to do much stone cleaning in the latter half of the summer, but my cemetery visits and rabbit-hole adventures and subsequent research continued nonetheless.
A few weeks ago, while in Brockville, I decided to explore the cemetery (or rather, cemeteries) on the south side of Hwy 2. What an incredible find! There’s so much history here to delve into when I have more time.
In the Old Anglican section, this cairn immediately caught my eye. It didn’t just lead me down one fascinating path—it opened up several new avenues of research.
One major revelation was learning that Dr. Malloch, commemorated here, was a student and friend of Dr. Joseph Lister—the pioneer of antiseptic surgery, who we should all thank for reducing our risk of dying of puerperal fever during childbirth and from life-threatening infections like sepsis and gangrene from minor wounds. Thanks, Dr. Lister! I'll think of you whenever I gargle!
This discovery made me realize that one of my favourite authors, Dr. Lindsey Fitzharris wrote a book a few years ago, The Butchering Art, which delves into Lister’s life and revolutionary contributions. Needless to say, I’m off to Novel Idea Bookstore to grab a copy!
