Just like today, physicians in the Classical World had
access to a variety of intricate medical & surgical instruments that were
designed to aid them in their treatment of the sick and injured.
Several ancient texts mention the use of surgical tools and
instruments used by doctors in antiquity. The precise date when each instrument
was first employed is largely unknown. The most of the instruments seemed to
have been available to Hippocrates (c. 460) and continued to be used throughout
the late Roman Empire with several existing in a similar form still being used
by physicians today. The Greco-Roman Age
covers the period when the Romans ruled the Greek World. Greek medicine and surgery grew up side by
side, as partners and medicine continued to develop under the Romans who had
gained much of their medical knowledge from the Greeks; so much so that Julius
Caesar gave Roman citizenship to all free-born Greek physicians practicing in
Rome. The Romans easily conquered
Macedonia and Greece in 197 BC but proclaimed “the freedom of Greece” the
following year only to return in 167 BC to abolish the Macedonian kingdom that
refused to follow their wishes. Roman
armies swept into Southern Greece taking action against those who disobeyed
their orders. Another recognized period known as the Greco-Roman occurred from
the time of the great physician, Galen, until the fall of the Roman
Empire. Toward the end of this era,
Greek influence began to fade. Only a
few medical men were respected but most were little better off than slaves do.
After a time, Roman medicine fell into the orbit of Byzantine Culture and lost
the original virility inherited from the Greeks.
Following are types of ancient medical instruments:
Scalpels: Could
be made of steel, bronze, or a combination of the two metals (such as a steel
blade and a bronze handle). Ancient scalpels had almost the same form and
function as their modern counterparts do today. The two long steel scalpels
that make up the first and third columns of the accompanying image are examples
of the most ordinary type of scalpel from antiquity. These long scalpels could
be used to make a variety of incisions, but they seem to be particularly suited
to making either deep or long cuts. The four bronze scalpels, which make up
columns two and four, are generally referred to as "bellied
scalpels." This variety of scalpel was another favorite of physicians in
antiquity since the shape of its handle allowed more delicate and precise cuts
to be made (such as incisions between ribs).
Hooks: Another common instrument used regularly by
Greek and Roman doctors. The hooks, the ancient doctors used, came in two basic
varieties: sharp and blunt. Both of these types of hooks are still used by
modern surgeons for many of the same purposes for which the ancient doctors
first used them. For instance, blunt hooks were primarily used as probes for
dissection and for raising blood vessels. Sharp hooks, were used to hold and
lift small pieces of tissue so that they could be extracted and to retract the
edges of wounds.
Forceps: Probably designed to facilitate the amputation
of the uvula. This procedure, as described by Aetius in the first half of the
sixth century, called for the physician to crush the uvula with forceps before
cutting it off in order to prevent hemorrhaging. Forceps also were used by ancient doctors to
extract the small fragments of bone, which could not be grasped by the fingers.
Naturally, physicians often used such forceps in conjunction with bone drills.
Bone Drills: Generally
driven in their rotary motion by means of a thong in various configurations.
Greek and Roman physicians used bone drills in order to excise diseased bone
tissue from the skull and to remove foreign objects of considerable thickness
(such as a weapon) from a bone.
Ancient medical tools are popular at Sadigh Gallery, and we
have variety sets of medical instruments available to purchase. We also have ones that are mounted in frames.
Some of our customers who practice medicines have informed us that they are
displaying these artifacts on the walls of their medical offices.
Click on the below
link to see Sadigh Gallery Ancient Art’s collections of ancient Greco-Roman
medical tools:
