A man sitting on a low chair is having his foot bandaged by the village surgeon whose tools are on the floor next to him; a woman waits. In the background, a boy stands at a table, and a man carrying a tankard is seen exiting the room. In Europe in the 13th century a new type of craftsmen emerged in towns; the barber-surgeon. They cut hair, pulled teeth and performed simple operations such as amputations and setting broken bones and looking after soldiers during or after a battle. Barber-surgeons performed a technique for reconstructing the nose paving the way for the development of modern plastic surgery. The barber surgeon was one of the most common medical practitioners of medieval Europe. In 1745 a bill was passed separating barbers from surgeons. When the barber-surgeons separated, the barber kept the pole as their identification. The pole consists of red and white, or red, white and blue stripes. Red for blood, white for bandages and blue for veins. Reproduction of David Teniers painting.