JN+Medicine&Disease+instruments

MEDICAL INSTRUMENTS AND PROCEDURES IN ANCIENT ROME


 * __What were some kinds of medical instruments and procedures in ancient Rome?__**

The ancient Romans used many of the medical instruments and procedures that we use today. They used things like the scalpel, the forceps, and the spatula. They practiced procedures like amputation, trepanning and the attachment of artificial limbs. Now we will go into detail about these instruments and procedures.

Firstly, the Romans were very practiced in the use of the scalpel. They used two kinds of scalpel, the bronze scalpel and the steel scalpel. They were used for making incisions and in other medical procedures, like amputation. The bronze scalpel was blunter and much smaller than its steel counterpart. It was often used for more finessed cuts. The steel scalpel was used for deeper or longer cuts, and was very long and much sharper than the bronze scalpel. The Romans also used the two kinds of hooks, the blunt hook and the sharp hook. The blunt hook was was used for moving blood vessels and as a probe during dissections. The sharp hook was used for lifting pieces of broken tissue for extraction. Another medical instrument in ancient Rome was the spatula. It was used for mixing and spreading different medicines, ointments and medicinal pastes onto patients.

The Romans used the bone drill. The bone drill was used for cutting up and removing diseased or infected bone, and for removing foreign objects or weapons from the body. The Romans also used the forceps. These were used for removing pieces of cut up bone or dead flesh left over from the bone drill. They used the forceps to get to the harder to reach flesh or bone, that the bone drills couldn't reach. This was because the forceps were much smaller and easier to use than the bone drills. They could be used as a probe during dissections or operations. They also used the surgical saw, which was used for cutting up bones and flesh during amputations. They also used the medical box. This was a box used by doctors to store various medicines and drugs.

The Romans were one of the most advanced civilizations of the ancient times. This was very evident in the medical field. They were one of the first civilizations to use the artificial limb. They made these out of wood and then a coating of bronze. These were attached with steel bolts. They also practiced trepanning. It was the process of drilling holes into the head to relieve pain, pressure, headaches and sometimes bad spirits, if advised by the church. They were the very first civilization to utilize the house call. This was when the doctor vistied the house of the patient, if they were too sick to leave the house. This method is still used today. The Romans also invented the medical prescription. This was the system doctors would use to recommend certain kinds of medicine that a patient might need to a pharmacist. They even had to say the Hippocratic Oath upon graduation, if they were to become a doctor of Rome.

There are many comparisons to be made between the medical instruments and procedures of ancient Rome and the modern day. Some countries still use the house call, the perscription is the primary source of medical communication between doctor, pharmacist and patient in almost all countries, and we still use almost all of the tools that the Romans used (in much more sophisticated and modern types nowadays of course). The tools we don`t use anymore are tools like the bone drill and the hook, as we have devised better and more sufficient ones. We still use the forceps, the scalpel, the spatula, and the medical box (a briefcase nowadays) among others. Today, we still use amputations to help patients survive. We still replace amputated limbs with artificial ones. Trepanning was banned centuries ago, but this ban was lifted as some Russian doctors convinced the people in charge of the law to lift it. This was lifted six years ago now, and has stretched to Germany, Finland and other North European countries, not just Russia. It is still thought to have all of the beneficial effects that it supposedly had in ancient Rome.