| Roman Medicine |
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Even with many questionable doctors in the Roman civilization, they had a relatively advanced surgery system. The scientific knowledge of the body, gained largely from the Greeks, gave them the basis to perform many surgeries with the skill and success rate of today. Common surgeries ranged from small tumor removal to hernia operations. They also had more highly skilled surgeries, which did not occur as often, but which still impress the student of history.
The Romans had several techniques to operate on eyes. One such operation helped minimize cataracts. They used a thin needle to push though the eye and break up the cataract. Then with the small hole in the needle the broken up pieces could be suctioned out. This procedure restored at least a moderate amount of sight for the patient.
Other operations involved plastic surgery. One report discusses an individual getting his earlobes repaired after years of wearing heavy earrings. The excess lobe was trimmed and the hole sewn together. Freed slaves prompted another common, but expensive, plastic surgery. The brandings and scars of the freed slave could be removed for a price. This would minimize the recognition and stigma of having been a slave in this ancient society.
Perhaps
the most amazing operations were performed on the brain. Trepanation, the name
of the procedure used, gave relief to those with incurable headaches and
relieved pressure on the brain as a result of head injuries. The surgeon used a
cylindrical drill bit to drill a circle in the skull. He would rotate the
drill using a bow-like device, much like the ones used to rub sticks together
in making a fire. Patients had a high survival rate and, amazingly, no anesthetic
was needed.
The tools of surgery have given us an insight into the methods and advancement of surgery in Rome. Some of the best discoveries of these tools come from the remains of Pompeii, the city buried in AD 79 under the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Archaeologists have uncovered the home of a surgeon. Within his house he had several tools that remained in pristine condition under the ash of the volcano.These included scalpels, scissors, and bone forceps, giving clues as to the process of surgery and treatment in Roman society. Much of what we know of Roman medicine is because of the "House of the Surgeon."
J Walsh 2001 (revised 2006)
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