SECT. XIII.—ON ANABROCHISMUS AND BURNING WITH IRON.
When the hairs which irritate the eye are not numerous, but only one, two, or at most, three, close to one another, we approve of the operation called anabrochismus. Taking, therefore, a very slender needle, we pass through its ear (eye?) a woman’s hair or a fine flaxen thread, and unite the two extremities together in such a manner that the thread or hair which is passed through may have a double loop; and we pass another such thread or hair through the loop, and pushing the needle through the tarsus where the preternatural hairs appear, we introduce the hair or hairs into the loop by means of an ear-specillum, and draw it upwards. And if the hair of the eyelash be fixed in it, we draw up the loop; but if one or more, fall out, we again, by means of the one at first introduced, draw down the loop, and once more introducing a hair or hairs, draw them upwards. But if there is only one slender hair that irritates the eye we draw up another of the ciliary hairs along with it, anointing them with gum or some other glutinous substance, and bending them until they unite to the skin. Some preferring burning to the operation of anabrochismus, turn the eyelid outwards, and with a hair-forceps dragging out the offending hair, if there is but one, or two, or three; if there be as many, they apply a double-headed specillum, or an ear-specillum, or some such small instrument heated, to the place whence the hair or hairs were removed. For the skin being thus constricted, no other hair is produced.
Commentary. We will give Celsus’s description of this operation in his own words: “Quidam aiunt, acu transui juxta pilos exteriorem partem palpebræ debere, eamque transmitti duplicem capillum muliebrem ducentem, atque ubi acus transiit, in ipsius capilli sinum, qua duplicatur, pilum esse conjiciendum, et per eum in superiorem palpebræ partem attrahendum, ibique corpori agglutinandum, et imponendum medicamentum quo foramen glutinetur; sic enim fore, ut is pilus in exteriorem partem postea spectet.” However, he does not much approve of the operation. He also describes the operation of cauterising the roots of the hairs. (vii, 7.)
Albucasis, Haly Abbas, and Rhases describe the operation in much the same terms as Celsus and our author. Most of the Arabian authorities, likewise, describe the operation of burning the roots of the hairs by means of a specillum or any such instrument. Canamusali gives a short account of both operations, that is to say, the anabrochismus and burning the roots of the hairs.
This operation is described by the earlier of the modern writers on surgery. The agglutinative composition recommended for this purpose by Guido de Cauliaco consists of mastich, frankincense, aloes, sarcocol, and tragacanth, dissolved in the white of an egg. (vi, ii.)