The developments that I think brought about Par's use of ointments to treat gunshot wounds were wars, challenges and also experimentation.

I then chose challenges as an important development. This was very important because it meant that doctors were forced to experiment. They had no choice: either let a man die due to being unable to use an age-old method, or experiment and possibly cure him. If they left the man to die they may have been rebuked for doing nothing for the man and their reputation would lay in tatters, whereas with experimenting, they would make a decision to at least try, for which they would surely get praise for. This forced Paré to try out his ointment, which became a great success.

Lastly, I chose experiments as an important development. This is in some ways, grouped along with challenges.  Without experimentation, we would still be using cautering irons and boiling oil to treat wounds today. While experimentation sometimes went wrong and had drawbacks (such as Paré’s ligatures occasionally infecting the very wound it was there to protect), it often came out with brilliant endings. For example, instead of using boiling oil to treat wounds, which caused more pain and injuries to the wounded, he experimented with his egg yolk, rose oil and turpentine ointment. This soothed and healed the wounds far more effectively.

In conclusion, I do not think any one of these developments could be seen as any more important than any other. For example, if we didn’t have war, then we wouldn’t have as much experimentation to find new cures; but then again, even with war, without experimentation and challenges the ointment would never have been invented, so all three points are immensely important.