Surgical instruments in Greek and Roman times / by John Stewart Milne.

  • Milne, John Stewart, 1871-
Date:
1907
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Surgical instruments in Greek and Roman times / by John Stewart Milne. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by UCL Library Services. The original may be consulted at UCL (University College London)

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    eKdTipoidev, wore d/ou^iKvprovs ^X€LV tyufcorfy&s rets repvovcras ypajJLixas akXa Kara fxev rr}v kripav <Tip.r}s, Kara be Ti]v avTiKdi\kivr\v Tavrrj KVpTrjs. ' It is best to have the curved part forged alike on both sides so that the cutting edges are curved in two ways, viz. one concave and the other convex.' A smaller variety for fine dissection is referred to in the same book (eis ontp Z<tt\v €7rn*?78eioraT?7 pLVpcrLvr] KVprr\, ii. 674). Shears. Greek, \/mAts ; Latin, forfex. Oribasius treats of cutting the hair as a regular medical procedure, in a special chapter, ire pi Kovpas kcll gvprjo-em, Celsus also frequently refers to cutting the hair as a thera- peutic measure. Possibly the ancients found difficulty in putting an edge sufficiently smooth for surgical purposes on their shears. We have a few references to the use of the shears for cutting tissues. Celsus, in the treatment of abdominal injury with protusion of omentum, says : Omentum quoque considerandum est: ex quo, si quid iam nigri et emortui est, forfice excidi debet: si integrum est, leniter super intestina deduci (VII. xvi). Again in the operation for the radical cure of hernia he says: Fuerunt etiam qui omentum forfice praeciderent: quod in parvulo non est necessarium; si mains est, potest pro- fusionem sanguinis facere, siquidem omentum quoque venis quibusdam etiam maioribus illigatum est. Neque vero, si discisso ventre id prolapsum forfice praeciditur, quum et emortuum sit et aliter tutius avelli non possit, inde hue exemplum transferendum est (VII. xxi): 'There have been others who cut away the omentum with scissors, which is unnecessary if the portion is small; and if very great it may occasion a profuse haemorrhage, since the omentum is connected with some of even the largest veins. But this objection cannot be applied in cases where, the belly being cut open, the prolapsed omentum is removed with shears, since it may be both gangrenous and unable to be removed in any other way with safety.' MILNE E