Various other combinations are met with.
Ligula type of Specillum.
Greek, κυαθίσκος; Latin, ligula.
Ligulae are found in enormous numbers and in very great variety. They are toilet articles for extracting from tubes and boxes ointment, the various salves, balsams, and powders which entered into the mysteries of the Roman lady’s toilet. The ligula is therefore not strictly speaking a surgical instrument, but as it was used by the laity, and no doubt also by physicians, for making applications to affected as well as to unaffected parts, and as it is often found associated with surgical instruments, it is advisable to bring it within the scope of this investigation. It is also convenient to do so, because some varieties approach so closely in form to the true surgical specilla that it is often difficult to decide which class to place a particular specimen in. In doubtful cases it is well to remember that the specillum is most usually a combination of two instruments on one shaft. Brunner (loc. cit.) figures a number of ligulae from the Swiss museums. These he names specilla oricularia, although admitting that they are only domestic articles. I have shown, however, that the specillum oricularium is a well-defined combination of scoop and probe.
[Plate XVIII] shows a variety of ligulae from various sources, some simple, some combined instruments. Figs. 4, 5, 8 are most typical forms. Some of this simple type are two feet in length. They are often overlaid with gold. Fig. 7 shows a ligula which has so been treated. It carries a small fork on which to poise a pellet of semi-solid medicament.
Spoons for measuring, preparing, and pouring medicaments.
A type of spoon not uncommonly met with has a round bowl about 2 cm. in diameter, and a handle of about 10 cm. long. Usually they are of bronze; but occasionally they are of silver, and a considerable number in bone were found in the Roman Hospital at Baden. They are for measuring medicaments, heating them, and removing them from unguentaria, &c. They are often found alongside the glass unguentaria which contained the salves. They were also used for religious purposes.
Similar spoons with pointed handles are common in finds of domestic articles. The sharp end is for extracting shellfish, &c. A larger variety of the unguent spoon has a spout to assist in pouring the contents. This variety is rather rare.
[Pl. XIX, fig. 4] is from the British Museum. The bowl is 2.5 cm. in diameter and the handle is 15 cm. long. The handle is round, and it has a small ringed ornamentation at its end and one close to the bowl. The bottom has been thinned out with heat, and there is a small perforation visible in it. A similar spoon was found in the grave of the Paris surgeon. Traces of medicament remain on it. This type is probably intended for warming salves and pouring them into the eye and other affected parts. Another variety is seen in [Pl. XIX, fig. 1]. This specimen is in the Naples Museum, and was found along with the spatula shown in [Pl. XIX, fig. 2]. The handles of each are of bronze, the scoop and spatula parts are of silver. Vulpes describes these as a lancet for drawing blood and a spoon for collecting and examining the same. It is impossible to regard an instrument of silver as a cutting instrument. These are for mixing and spreading medicaments. A large spoon of a peculiar shape from the Naples Museum is seen in [Pl. XIX, fig. 3]. It is of silver. The handle, which is of ivory, is ornamented with spiral carving, and the end bears a ram’s head. Another interesting little shovel from the same museum is of bronze, and carries the head of Minerva Medica on the end of the handle ([Pl. XX, fig. 5]). We may here include the large double spatulae of the type shown in [Pl. XX, fig. 1], which represents a specimen from Naples. A similar one was found in the outfit of the Paris surgeon, and Scultetus shows precisely similar instruments in use in his time for applying the stiffening to the bandages, &c. for setting fractures. The Romans probably used theirs for a similar purpose.
Tongue Depressor.