CONTENTS

PAGES
[CHAPTER I]
Introductory[1-9]
Hippocrates—Celsus—Rufus of Ephesus—Aretaeus of Cappadocia—Galen—Oribasius—Soranusof Ephesus—Moschion—Caelius Aurelianus—Aetius—Pliny the Younger—Scribonius Largus—MarcellusEmpiricus—Theodorus Priscianus—Alexander Trallianus—Paulus Aegineta—Hero of Alexandria—ChristianFathers—The Arabs—Paré—Scultetus—Heister.
[CHAPTER II]
Material, Execution, and Ornamentation[10-23]
Steel andIron—Bronze—Copper—Brass—Tin—Lead—Gold—Silver—Horn—Wood—Bone—Ivory—Stone—Executionand Ornamentation—Ringed Ornamentation—Inlaying—Plating—Patina—Finds of Instruments—Herculaneum and Pompeii—Findof Surgeon of Paris—Oculist Severus of Rheims—Oculist Sollemnis of Fonviel—Military Hospital at Baden—Surgeon of Cologne.
[CHAPTER III]
Knives[24-50]
Cutting instruments—The scalpel handle—Typical form rectangular, with blunt dissector—Round—Octagonal—Mountingthe blade—Varieties of blade—Classification—Straight blades with one cutting edge—Scalpel—Bistoury—Scarificatorsingle or multiple—Razor type—Blunt-pointed bistoury—Ring knife for dismembering the foetus—Straight two-edged knives—Galen’slong dissecting knife—Phlebotome—Fleams—Katias—Spathion—Hemispathion—Polypus knife—Lithotomy knife—Knifefor lithotomy invented by Meges—Perforator for foetal cranium—Probe-pointed bistoury with two edges—Curvedbistoury—Crow-bill—Pterygium knife—Knife for plasticoperation for entropion—Uvula knife—Tonsil knife—Fistula knife—Curved two-edged blades—Galen’s cartilage knife—Curvedmyrtle-leaf-shaped blade—Shears.
[CHAPTER IV]
Probes[51-89]
Specilla or probe-like instruments—Definition ofspecillum—κοπάριον—μήλη—ὑπάλειπτρον—Materials—Bronze—Silver—Gold—Tin—Wood—Bristle—Flower-stalk—Specillumas sound—Combination of instruments on one shaft—Plain rods—Double olive—Spathomele or spatula-probe—Cyathiscomele or spoon-probe—Earspecillum—Probe with screw thread—Specillum vulnerarium—Handled needle—Ophthalmic probe—Raspingspecillum—Trachoma curette (Blepharoxyston)—Styli and styloid specilla—Grooved director—Surgical needle—Dressing needle—Bodkin—Eyedprobes—Ligula—Spoons for warming and pouring salves—Tongue depressor—Uterine sounds—Uterine dilators—Bifurcatedprobe—Y probe—Blunt dissector—Curved dissectors—Sharp hooks—Blunt hooks—Aneurism needle—Strigil—Spoonfor applying liquid to uvula.
[CHAPTER V]
Forceps[90-100]
Epilation—Polypus—Tumour vulsellum—Eyelid fixation forceps—Uvula(Staphylagra)—Forceps for applying caustic to uvula—Pharyngeal.
[CHAPTER VI]
Bleeding Cups, Clysters, etc.[101-115]
Bleeding cups—Materials—Glass—Silver-Bronze—Shapes—Syringes—Principles—Rectal—Vaginaland uterine—Bladder—Nose—Sinus—Ear—Insufflator—Cannula for ascites andempyema—Leaden tubes to prevent contraction and adhesion—Calamus scriptorius—Quill.
[CHAPTER VII]
Cauteries[116-120]
Cautery knife—Trident—Olivary—Gamma-shaped—Obol—Lunated—Nail—Tile—Button—Wedge—Needle—Cauterywith tube—Wood—Moxa.
[CHAPTER VIII]
Bone and Tooth Instruments[121-142]
Raspatory—Chisel—Gouge—Lenticular—Hammer—Block—Meningophylax—Drill—Drillwith guard (Abaptista)—Saw—Trephine—Perforator for fistula lachrymalis—Bone elevator—Sequestrumforceps—Varix extractor—Blacksmith’s tongs—Tooth forceps—stump forceps—Tooth elevator—Tooth scalers—File—Forcepsfor extracting weapons—Periosteal elevator for the pericranium—Impellent—Arrow scoop.
[CHAPTER IX]
Bladder and Gynaecological Instruments[143-160]
Catheter—Male—Female—Child—Bladder sounds—Lithotomyscoop—Forceps—Lithotrite—Speculum—Rectal—Vaginal—Trivalve—Quadrivalve—Tractionhook—Decapitator—Cranioclast—Cephalotribe—Midwifery forceps—Uterine curette—Instrumentfor destroying foetus in utero—Apparatus for fumigating uterus and vagina—Vaginal pessaries.
[CHAPTER X]
Sutures, etc.[161-167]
Sponge—Sutures—Serres fines—Band of Antyllus—Sieves and strainers—Mortar—Pestle—Whetstone.
[CHAPTER XI]
Étui, etc.[168-173]
Portable outfit—Probe cases—Scalpel box—Ointment box—Boxes for collyrium sticks—Ointment slabs—Boxes for drugs.
[APPENDIX]
I. Inventory of Chief Instruments in various Museums[174-177]
II. Bibliography[177-178]

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTORY

The earliest classical writer on medical subjects is Hippocrates, who was born in 460 B. C. and who practised in Athens and other parts of Greece. The ‘Hippocratic Collection’ is well known to consist of works which are not all by Hippocrates himself; but as the pseudo-Hippocratic works all belong to the classical period they are all admissible as evidence for our purpose, and for the sake of brevity I shall throughout refer to them as if all were by Hippocrates. Many interesting instruments are named in the comparatively small collection of treatises which make up the admittedly genuine list of Hippocratic works, but, taking these along with the pseudo-Hippocratic works, the number of instruments named in the whole collection is surprisingly large, comprising as it does trephines, bone drills, probes, needles, tooth forceps, uvula forceps, bone elevators, uterine sounds, graduated dilators, cranioclasts, and others. After Hippocrates there is a break in the continuity of the literature, and for some hundreds of years Greek medicine is represented almost entirely by the Alexandrian Schools. The first printed edition of the Hippocratic works was a Latin translation printed at Rome in 1525, followed by the Aldine edition of the Greek text printed at Venice in the following year. Other editions are the edition of Föes (1595), Van der Linden (1665), Kühn (Leipzig, 1821). Later editions are the text with a French translation by Littré (10 vols., 1849-61), a scholarly edition by Ermerins with a Latin rendering (1859-64), and an excellent translation of the genuine works of Hippocrates by the world-famous Dr. Adams of Banchory (Sydenham Soc. Trans., 1849). The best edition, however, is the edition of Kuehlewein, begun in 1894 and at present in course of publication by Teubner, Leipzig. The later volumes have not yet appeared. For the portion of the text which is not contained in the first two volumes of Kuehlewein I have relied on the edition of Kühn for most of the readings, although occasionally those of Van der Linden or Föes are to be preferred. The references given are to the volumes and pages of Kühn’s edition, but in this edition indications are given of the corresponding localities in the other editions so that cross-references to these can easily be made. There seems to be a different arrangement in different editions of Föes, for Liddell and Scott say the references in their Lexicon are to the pages in Föes but they do not correspond in any way to the pagination of the edition before me (Frankfort, 1595).

Aulus Cornelius Celsus is the next writer we have. His system of medicine in eight books is a marvel of lucid arrangement, and his beautiful style makes it a pleasure to read any of his works. The seventh book gives a most interesting review of the surgery of the Alexandrian School. He describes many instruments in detail, although he names fewer special instruments than some of the Greek writers as the Latin language lends itself less well to the formation of compound words than the Greek does. To take one example only, Celsus has practically one word for all varieties of forceps—vulsella, while the Greeks use many compounds like hair forceps (τριχο-λαβίς), flesh forceps (σαρκο-λάβος), tooth forceps (ὀδοντάγρα), stump forceps (ῥιζάγρα). Indeed, in the case of the two latter words Celsus falls back on Greek to express himself. Celsus was first published in 1478. Another edition is that of Targa, 1769. The editions before me are those of Daremberg, published at Leipzig in 1859, and Védrènes (Paris, 1876). The latter contains illustrations of a considerable number of specimens from Italian and French museums.

Rufus of Ephesus (98-117 A. D.) has left little to interest us for our particular purpose, as he merely mentions, without describing, a few instruments, all of which are already known to us from other sources. The best edition is that of Daremberg, Paris, 1879. A Latin translation of his works will be found in Medicae Artis Principes (Stephanus).