Many critics' familiarity with the medieval medical community comes from Chaucer's characterization of the Doctor of Physic: "In al this world ne was there noon hym lik, / To speke of phisik and of surgerye."1 But what few critics fail to realize is that there is an important difference between the Doctor's ability to speak of surgery and his ability to perform.2 In the 33 lines used to characterize the doctor, Chaucer never mentions a surgical procedure. This seems to indicate that doctors might not perform surgical operations. In fact, medi ....