Salvete Milites,
New to RAT and soaking it up!. Been doing Roman re-enactmeent for a little over a year here in California. Got the gear sorted thanks to Hibernicus but going to expand toward my role as the medicus. Since Im a Doc in the real world, this seems a natural segway. Looked at lots of different sources for surgical instruments and flirting with the idea of making some of my own. instead of reinventing the wheel I thought Id come here in a quest for knowledge. Any tips would be greatly appreciated. best site so far seems to be HR Replik but he hasnt returned e-mails in about 4 months....?
One of our guys has a collection of actual Roman medical instruments found at several sites (as well as a complete set of replicas). Let me see if I can find his Email.
You might want to contact Marco, who goes by the user name MDF. I haven't seen him for a while, unfortunately. He did some spectacular work. Here is one of his old threads, but apparently all his old photos are gone. You see a lot of stuff people make, but in all honesty his work was really impressive. Hopefully he hasn't retired.
Edit: I think I spoke too soon. Some of his pictures are still there, deep in the thread.
Marco has gone .... John Flagstaff in England also seems to make great stuff, really great stuff, but he is very difficult to get hold of. Pitty, for I have a commission waiting for him.
Yes, it's really sad Marco stopped making these. I've seen Robert's kit and it's really beautiful. I hope Marco can fix whatever he needs to and go back to business, i would get one.
The whole tax issue there is crippling. He needs someone to offer him a job as an artisan, as he can't / dares not start his own business, as he has to pay a lot of money from day one. We talked about it on the mail in length. Really such a shame, as he is a very, very good craftsman and dedicated to perfection. Indeed I treasure the set I bought from him for Marjoleine. I can do iron medical stuff, but never tried the bronze bits.
Well I will needs iron tools for cautery.... 8+) Im thinking they probably had 2-3 different sizes for bleeding control so if you can work me in Robert, Id love to place an order with you.
John
This is the one I made for my own display. Handle is boxwood. The brass ring may or may not be archeologicaly correct, as far as I know, no cautery has been found with such a ring, but a good few other tools have been. Send me a mail at r.p.wimmersAThotmail.com and I can send you some more pictures of iron pliers and things, I have a good deal of info on Roman medical tools. Do you have the Künzl book? That shows a lot of found implements. "Medizinische Instrumente aus Sepulkralfunden der römischen Kaiserzeit". If you do not, don't order it, as it is on sale here with a specialised publischer! I can send you a copy with your order for very little.
Hi, don't know too much about ancient surgical instruments but here is a link to pretty old book "Surgical instruments in Greek and Roman Times" by John Stewart Milne which was originally printed in 1907. But has some images in back. You can download ePub, PDF, kindle or just read online.
wonderful!.. i would probably want the cautery pieces without the brass ring if thats possible. the set of pliers at top are perfect for levering bone however. Ill sent you an e-mail off lone for the book info. you've been very helpful!. thanks again.
JW
Woe Ye The Vanquished
Brennvs 390 BC
When you have all this why do you envy our mud huts
Caratacvs
Centvrio Princeps Brennivs COH I Dacorivm (Roma Antiqvia)
