Essay On Roman Surgery

Surgery in the past, surgery today

Surgery is probably no longer the most feared medical procedure. Many of us will go under the surgeon’s knife at some point in our lives. We have come to think of surgery as a safe, painless and reliable method to cure us from illness, but this was not always the case. With no pain control and the risk of infection, surgery used to be painful, horrific and dangerous in roughly equal measure and many people died on the operating table. It was usually the last resort for both patient and practitioner.

Early surgery in the Neolithic and Egyptian periods

The earliest form of surgery was trephining, which involved cutting a small round hole in the head. It was practised as early as the Neolithic period, for reasons

Greek surgeons could set broken bones, bleed patients, perform amputations and drain the lungs of anyone unfortunate enough to catch pneumonia. Despite this the dangers associated with surgery meant that it remained the last resort, even for notable doctors such as Hippocrates.

The influence of the Greeks and war on Roman surgery

Romans surgeons had ample opportunity to pick up surgical skills at the infamous gladiator schools and during the many wars that Rome inflicted on its neighbours and others further afield. Their surgical instruments were similar to those employed by the Greeks. Turpentine and pitch were used as antiseptics, but internal surgery was still considered too risky. The Romans also performed amputations, trephining and eye surgery. The most famous surgeon in Rome was Galen, who was surgeon to the Roman emperor.

Al-Zahrawi and Islamic influence on Western medicine

Al-Zahrawi (Albucasis), the famous Islamic surgeon and physician, was highly influential from around 900 CE. He wrote several books detailing subjects such as orthopaedics, military surgery and ear, nose and throat surgery. His books were used extensively for many centuries by Islamic and Western medical