Greek, γλωσσοκάτοχος.
To open a quinsy Aetius says (II. iv. 45):
‘If the patient is adult, seat him and make him open his mouth, and depress the tongue with a spathomele, or a tongue depressor, and open the abscess with a probe or a needle knife.’
In excision of the tonsil Paul (VI. xxx) bids us seat the patient in the sun and depress the tongue with a tongue depressor (γλωσσοκατόχῳ).
[Pl. XX, fig. 6] shows one of six bronze tongue depressors, burnished like small mirrors, from the Lépine collection (Védrènes, Celse).
Uterine Sound.
The uterine sound is frequently mentioned by Hippocrates for correcting malpositions of the uterus, and dilating and applying medicaments to the interior of the cervix. After falling into disuse in the middle ages it was reintroduced by Sir J. Y. Simpson, only to disappear once more almost entirely from sight.
I have already referred to Galen’s statement that the non-pregnant os is of such a size that it will just admit an olive-pointed probe (p. 54).
Hippocrates (ii. 836) directs us to treat hysteria by dilating the cervix, first with an ointment probe and then with the finger.
Καὶ ὑπάλειπτρον καθιέναι καὶ ἀναστομοῦν καὶ τῷ γε δακτύλῳ ὡσαύτως λειοῦν.