Greek, διωστήρ.
In his chapter on the extraction of weapons, one of the most remarkable chapters in the whole of his works, Paul mentions an impellent for forcing an arrow head through a part so as to extract it at the side opposite to that by which it went in.
‘If the head of the weapon has passed to the other side and it is found impossible to extract it by the way it entered, having divided the parts opposite we extract it through the middle of them, either extracting it in the manner spoken of (i. e. with forceps), or we make an opening by means of the weapon itself, pushing it by the shaft, or, if that has come away, by an impellent instrument (διωστῆρος), taking care not to divide a nerve, artery, vein, or any important part; for it would be malpractice if, in extracting the weapon, we should do more mischief than the weapon itself had done. If the weapon has a tang, which is ascertained by examination with the probe, having introduced the female part of the impellent instrument and engaged it, we push the weapon forwards, or, if it has a socket, the male part’ (τὴν θήλειαν τοῦ διωστῆρος καθέντες καὶ ἐναρμόσαντες ὠθήσομεν τὸ βέλος εἰ δὲ αὐλὸν τὸν ἄρρενα).
Impellents formed an important part of the armamentarium of the surgeon, at least down to the time of Scultetus, and in his works and in those of Albucasis and Paré there are numerous figures of these instruments. None of these quite agree with the idea of the instrument which one gathers from Paul’s description. It would seem to have been a very simple affair, probably a plain rod of metal pointed at one end and hollowed at the other, the pointed end being introduced into the socket of an arrow where it possessed one, the hollow end being fitted over the tip of the tang in cases where the arrow was tanged.
Arrow Scoop.
Greek, κυαθίσκος Διοκλεῖος.
A scoop for extracting arrow heads is thus described by Celsus (VII. v):
Latum vero telum, si conditum est, ab altera parte educi non expedit, ne ingenti vulneri ipsi quoque ingens vulnus adiiciamus. Evellendum est ergo genere quodam ferramenti quod Διοκλείου κυαθίσκον Graeci vocant, quoniam auctorem Dioclem habet: quem inter priscos maximosque medicos fuisse iam posui. Lamina, vel ferrea vel etiam aenea, ab altero capite duos utrimque deorsum conversos uncos habet; ab altero duplicata lateribus, leviterque extrema in eam partem inclinata quae sinuata est, insuper ibi etiam perforata est. Haec iuxta telum transversa demittitur; deinde ubi ad imum mucronem ventum est paulum torquetur, ut telum foramine suo excipiat; quum in cavo mucro est, duo digiti subiecti partis alterius uncis simul et ferramentum id extrahunt et telum.
‘But a broad weapon if buried should not be extracted from a counter opening, lest to one large wound we add another; therefore it is to be extracted with a special variety of instrument which the Greeks call the Scoop of Diocles, since Diocles invented it. I have already stated that he was one of the most eminent of the old practitioners. Its blade of iron, or even of bronze, has at one end two hooks, one at each side turned backwards. At the other end it is folded over at the sides, and the end is slightly curved up towards that part which is bent. Moreover in it there is a perforation. This is introduced crosswise near the weapon, then when it comes near the point it is twisted a little so that it receives the point in the hole. When the weapon is in the cavity two fingers placed under the hooks at the other end simultaneously extract both the instrument and the weapon.’