The rectal speculum was one of the most significant surgical devices in Greco-Roman medicine. Hippocrates’ treatise on fistulas contains the oldest reference to a rectal speculum (Milne, 150). It is a two-bladed instrument with a hinge in the middle; the blades’ greatest extension is 0.07 m, and their length is roughly 0.15 m (Milne, 150). The inside of the channel or bodily cavity might be examined by the doctor with the help of this instrument. When doing anoscopy, a preparatory examination before proctoscopy or sigmoidoscopy, rectal speculums are utilized. During the late Roman Empire, the rectal speculum was also utilized in related surgical operations (Milne, 150). This equipment demonstrates the relatively advanced tools used in Roman medicine. This Roman example is being used today in many forms. The Romans used it to diagnose ailments and perform the necessary surgical operations.
In terms of the historical background of the instrument’s employment, it’s important to remember that the spread of Christianity began during the late Roman Empire. What began as a small cult in Judea grew into one of the world’s great faiths, owing to its success in spreading throughout the Roman Empire until the Western Empire’s demise (Brooks, 2019). As a result, health care began to take on a strong religious bent, with trust in a God at the center of healing. Early Christianity and Greco-Roman medicine had a simmering rivalry throughout time. Despite the growing influence of Christianity and the socio-economic hardships of the late Roman Empire, the rectal speculum was still used relatively widely. This instrument proved to be one of the important achievements of Greco-Roman medicine due to the fact that the Roman examples are still can be found even today.
References
Brooks, C. (2019). Western Civilization: A Concise History Volume 1. Portland Community College
Milne, J. S. (2012). Surgical Instruments in Greek and Roman Times. Project Gutenberg License.