Jan de Doot

Jan de Doot (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈjɑn də ˈdoːt]) is the subject of a painting from 1655 by Carel van Savoyen.

It shows De Doot, a smith, holding in one hand a kitchen knife, and in the other a large bladder stone the size and shape of an egg, set in gold.

The story on which the painting is based is from Nicolaes Tulp's book entitled Observationes medicae (1672 edition).

To get the stone out was more difficult, and he had to stick two fingers into the wound on either side to remove it with leveraged force, and it finally popped out of hiding with an explosive noise and tearing of the bladder.

Now the more courageous than careful operation was completed, and the enemy that had declared war on him was safely on the ground, he sent for a healer who sewed up the two sides of the wound together, and the opening that he had cut himself, and properly bound it up; the flesh of which grew so happily that there no small hope of health was, but the wound was too big, and the bladder too torn, not to have ulcers forming.