The latest archaeological discovery shows that during the ancient Roman period, the degree of medical development far exceeded people’s imagination. The British "Sunday Telegraph" reported on the 9th that an ancient Roman doctor's medical instruments were unearthed in Rimini, showing the world the medical achievements of the ancient Roman period. It is amazing how little the surgical equipment and medical treatments of the day changed over the next 1800 years.
Archaeological discovery
This archaeological excavation lasted 17 years and is the largest medical archaeological exploration in history. The unearthed medical equipment will be displayed to the public for the first time at the British Museum in the UK on the 5th.
Archaeologists have discovered that the ancient Roman doctor’s consulting room was very similar to the modern medical environment. There is a small table, a high-backed leather chair, and an operating room. The operating table is against the wall, and the word "Eutyches" is also engraved on the wall, which archaeologists believe is the name of the doctor.
The house was built in the 2nd century BC and collapsed in a fire in 260 AD. In 1989, a tree from the Roman period was excavated in the Rimini area, and later more extensive excavations were carried out. The doctor's house was discovered during this excavation. Since then, archaeologists have conducted a detailed search of this house for 17 years and obtained the most detailed information on medical conditions in ancient Rome in history.
“This is the largest ancient medical exploration to date,” said Dr. Kraft Jackson, head of the Ancient Roman Department at the British Museum. “We can now learn in detail about the medical procedures and methods at that time because of this excavation. It is very complete. Previous archaeological discoveries about medicine were too fragmentary.”
Well-equipped
Among the 150 medical instruments of various shapes unearthed, the most unexpected one is one. A foot-shaped ceramic kettle. Regarding its function, archaeologists explained that Italians before 1800 put their feet into the pot and then poured water or oil into it to soak their feet to dispel cold and cure diseases.
"What is even more amazing is a small chisel used for craniotomy. It is thick in the middle and thin around the edges," said Jackson, who is also an expert in ancient medicine. "During the operation, use another tool first. A channel was cut into the skull, and the chisel was used to safely open the skull." Among the unearthed medical instruments was a rare iron instrument used to remove arrowheads from wounds. Therefore, people speculate that this doctor may have been a military doctor.
Some scalpels, scales, grinding rods and bottles were also among the instruments unearthed. The latter two are used to prepare and preserve medicines.
Advanced concepts
In addition to various medical equipment, archaeologists have discovered that the medical concepts of ancient Rome were already very advanced. People at that time made their own narcotics by mixing mandrake, henbane and poppy.
“Joint pain was the most common condition in ancient Rome, and they probably treated it with a mixture of hot and cold,” Jackson said.
Based on this archaeological discovery, scientists speculate that doctors at that time generally treated patients in three steps. The first step is to treat the disease by adjusting the diet; the second step is to take Chinese herbal medicine, which is generally collected from nature and ground and processed; the third step is to undergo surgery.
The ancient Roman doctors who owned those unearthed medical instruments knew a wide range of subjects. His extraction pliers and other surgical equipment show that he can not only extract teeth, but also remove bone fragments from damaged skulls.
"Ancient Roman doctors 1,800 years ago knew that the most important step after a fracture was to remove the broken bones," Jackson said. "This doctor's tools were neatly bundled, and it was obvious that he He also has to deal with emergencies. Once he gets the news, he will go out for medical treatment as soon as possible. I am still studying and analyzing his various small blades, whether they are used for eye surgery or treating leg wounds. "< /p>