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

  • Milne, John Stewart, 1871-
Date:
1907
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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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    transsuat; deinde iterum, tertioque usque ad alterum angu- lum; quo fit ut omnes pilorum radices adustae emoriantur. Ophthalmic Probe. Greek, dcpOaX/JLLKr) }ir\\y). In Hippocrates (ii. 100) we find an ophthalmic probe mentioned. A€7rt8os fxrjXaL rpet? rw 7rAaret kclI aXr\rov o-qravCov KokX-qs, iravra ravra Aeta Tptyas, Kara-noria -noir\cras hihov. ' Of squama aeris three times the full of a specillum and [as much] of the gluten of wheat. Levigate all up fine, form into pills and administer.' Galen in his Lexicon explains that ixrjXai rpets rw irXareL means rw Kvadia-K^ 6(f)6a\}iiKr}s /xrjAr^j. This is the only mention which we have of a special ophthalmic probe with scoop. In applying medicaments to the eye with a probe whenever any variety of probe is mentioned it is always the ear specillum which is named. It seems most likely that either the ear specillum or some variety of it is referred to here. It may have had a nucleus for applying medicaments at one end and a scoop at the other. Rasping Specillum. Greek, pXecpapo&arov; Latin, specillum asperatum (Celsus). A special burred specillum, for curetting the granular lids so common as a result of the ophthalmia which is endemic in most Eastern countries, and which was rampant in ancient Greece and Rome, is described by Celsus and also by Paul. Celsus says : In hoc gene re valetudinis quidam crassas durasque palpe- bras et ficulneo folio, et asperato specillo, et interdum scalpello eradunt, versasque quotidie medicamentis suffricant (VI. vi). Paul says: c But if the granulation be hard and yield to none of these things we must evert the eyelid, and rub it down with pumice