Surgical instruments from ancient Rome

It's something of a myth that pre-industrial doctoring was all leeches and cups. There was real expertise — of a sort — in field surgery. Such work, being about getting warriors and workers back into their game, lacks the historical appeal of the more "philosophical" medical arts studied by academics.

The Romans: now they knew how to remove a thing or two. As for the device pictured above, if you can't guess what it is, you probably don't want to know.

[#1 posted by dculberson , September 30, 2008 6:57 AM]

If they had figured out the whole sterility thing sooner, medicine and surgery would have been a lot more successful.

[#2 posted by Tenn , September 30, 2008 6:59 AM]

Aaaaaaaaaaah! GET IT AWAY.

[#3 posted by Narual , September 30, 2008 7:31 AM]

hey, dual purpose... speculum and wine cork remover!

[#4 posted by loganbouchard , September 30, 2008 9:33 AM]

i found it amusing the under each painful-looking instrument it said "click to enlarge." as though it wasn't big and painful enough.

[#5 posted by arikol , September 30, 2008 9:43 AM]

looks like a vaginal speculum.

Oh, wait. I KNOW it is a vaginal speculum...

[#6 posted by The Lizardman , September 30, 2008 10:22 AM]

Not all speculums are for vaginal use - think about that and let your horror magnify

[#7 posted by BasilGanglia , September 30, 2008 11:16 AM]

trepanner?

[#8 posted by Enochrewt , September 30, 2008 12:09 PM]

I like how the most terrifying gadgets in that link have no description paragraph. Such as:

Clyster for Administering Enemas
Male Caltheter

It's like they decided that there's no way they could come up with a description that would make the device more horrifying.

Uvula crusher? Ung....

[#9 posted by muteboy , September 30, 2008 2:01 PM]

Reminds me of visiting the Hunter Surgical Museum in London, opening the drawer marked "Male Genito-urinary Instruments" and then closing it again very rapidly.

[#10 posted by OM , September 30, 2008 2:01 PM]

...If you've watched Rome, you can see a neat device that allowed Roman doctors to perform brain surgery! Same sort of device Injuns used to start fires, too!

[#11 posted by Anonymous , October 1, 2008 5:40 AM]

Finally something to rival Dead Ringers! Jeremy Irons as Eeeevil Twin of Eevil Twin: "Gynecological instruments for operating on mutant women."

[#12 posted by apuesto , October 1, 2008 8:07 AM]

From the linked article:

Soranus is the first author who makes mention of the speculum specially made for the vagina.

That's right, Soranus, it's made specifically for the vagina. I don't want to see you trying it anywhere else, ok?

[#13 posted by Jaan , October 1, 2008 8:27 AM]

I think these instruments are beautiful handcrafted works.

#10...Injuns...really?

[#14 posted by acipolone , October 1, 2008 9:54 AM]

#8 - I agree. I think they were ones where they said, "The name is enough to strike terror into the minds, loins and rears of mankind."

Oh, goodness I don't think I can sit comfortably for the rest of the day. Mental imagery sucks.

[#15 posted by noetma , October 1, 2008 6:51 PM]

This totally made my day. I wish I could acquire a nice replica to leave on my desk. Nice conversation starter: What do you think of my roman speculum replica?

Fast way to lose a lot of friends though.