Surgical Instruments in Greek and Roman TimesMilne, John Stewart
History
Surgical Instruments in Greek and Roman Times
Milne, John Stewart
Surgery -- History; Surgical instruments and apparatus
The surgical epilation forceps is, as we have seen, usually a simple
instrument. Occasionally we meet with a forceps combined with some other
instrument. These are, as a rule, toilet articles. A pocket ear-scoop and
epilation forceps combined was found in Paris. Precisely similar articles
of steel may be bought in chemists' shops to-day. Another has a small
unguent spatula combined with a forceps, while others carry olivary
probes. There are several of these in the St-Germain-en-Laye Museum (Pl.
XXVII, figs. 5, 2). One from Melos, in the Athens Museum, has a
porte-caustique.
_Polypus Forceps._
Greek, πολυποξύστης.
Galen (_Med. Sec. Loc._ xii. 685) alludes to the method of extraction of
polypus from the nose by means of a forceps (ἔπειτα λαβιδίῳ ἐξαίρει), and
from what Paul says it would seem that there was a special polypus
instrument, consisting of a forceps at one end and a rugine at the other.
After describing extraction by means of a knife and scoop he says:
'If, however, any part of the tumour be left behind, we take another
polypus eradicator (ἕτερον πολυποξύστην), and with the end of it
(ἐπάκμου αὐτοῦ ξυστηρίου) bring away what remains, by stretching,
twisting, and scraping it strongly.'
Ξυστήριον means a small rugine, but stretching and twisting can only be
done with a forceps. Rare as the combination of an antique forceps with
another instrument is, we have one example of the combination of a rugine
and a forceps, and, as it is admirably adapted for the extraction of nasal
polypus, I think we are quite justified in considering it to be the
instrument indicated by Paul. This instrument was found in the grave of
the Paris surgeon. It is elegantly formed and is of one piece of bronze
sawn down the middle. The upper part is surmounted by a rugine strongly
curved, pointed at the tip and cutting on one edge. The rugine measures 3
cm. in length, and 5 mm. in breadth (Deneffe, _Tr. d'un Chir._, pl. v,
fig. 1) (Pl. XXVII, fig. 1).
_Tumour Vulsellum (Myzon)._
Greek, μύδιον, μύγδιον, σαρκολαβίς, σαρκολάβος; Latin, _myzon_,
_sarcolabon_, _vulsella_.
The form vulsellum has got so well established by usage in modern medical
writings that it would seem pedantic to write 'vulsella forceps', but so
far as I am aware it is not a form which has any classical authority. The
classical usage is _vulsella_, _-ae_, feminine. I shall follow custom and
use the modern term when using it as an English word.
The myzon, or tumour forceps, was a toothed instrument of the dissecting
forceps type. Ducange says it takes its name from the shells which are
called μυτίλοι, vulgo μύδια (mussels). It was used whenever it was desired
to make traction on any object--such as a tumour--to excise it, or to
raise and fix a piece of skin. Aetius (xvi. 106) says:
Μυδίῳ πλατυστόμῳ συλλαβὼν τὴν νύμφην διὰ τῆς εὐωνύμου χειρὸς
ἀποτεινέτω τῇ δὲ δεξιᾷ ἀποτεμνέτω παρὰ τοὺς ὀδόντας τοῦ μυδίου.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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