The book recounts a knight struck in the face by an arrow that surgeons could not locate even after opening the wound. Infection worsened until he could no longer chew, and a pilgrimage brought no physical relief. After the knight felt a new feature in the wound, a blacksmith successfully extracted the arrow from the delicate injury. The surviving miracle account credited faith and the associated religious institution, while the author argues that the blacksmith's practical skill deserves far more attention. The case teaches readers to examine who performed the material work when interpreting medieval healing stories.
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A blacksmith's role in treating a medieval arrow wound
A passage from Medieval Military Medicine uses an infected facial wound to show how craft skill can disappear behind a miracle narrative.