The Treasures of the Marciana Museum
The Specillum, the Probe of Ancient Physicians
One of the comforting aspects of discussing ancient topics is the freedom to express oneself, provided that the ancients are always taken seriously. This is because the ancients will only speak to us if we genuinely listen to them.
Ammonius Lithotomos was a surgeon in 300 BC who invented a double probe for treating kidney stones. The first probe, made of copper, tin, or bronze, had a sharp hooked tip that would go under the stone, hooking onto the opposite side. The second probe, with a pointed tip, would descend and hammer the stone, reducing it to fragments.
Aulus Cornelius Celsus, a Roman physician born in 26 BC who wrote medical encyclopedias, noted that the probe, called specillum in Latin, had four different names in Greek. This is similar to how our grandparents had many names for kitchen pots, most of which we have forgotten, except perhaps “tegame.” When there are more words, it indicates a richer culture around the subject, which in turn leads to greater knowledge and better outcomes.
The Etruscan probe, however, dates back many centuries earlier. Indeed, the Etruscans preceded others even in this field. Their medicine was highly advanced, with a vast knowledge of the effects of plants. Unlike us, they had the advantage of using entirely natural medicines.
Etruscan dentists possessed more types of scalpels, spatulas, and forceps than a modern dentist does today. Their surgical techniques were also advanced, as evidenced by the refinement of the 7th-century BC probe displayed at the Marciana Museum. The exhibit describes it as a “fragmentary bronze specillum. 7th-6th century BC.”
Unfortunately, the author of this text was unable to find a comprehensive collection of studies on Etruscan surgical instruments, possibly due to the lack of relevant volumes on Elba Island. It would have been essential to consult the “Studi Etruschi” series by Olschki and Bretschneider.
In one of his writings, Hippocrates, while listing a long series of treatments, mentions the use of a tin probe (Mele), with a loop (Tetremenen), just like ours, though he specifies that the loop should be at the tip (Akrou), whereas ours has it in the middle. We have studied hundreds of images from the web and consulted key texts on ancient surgery, such as those by John Stewart Milne and the updated version by Lawrence Bliquez, although the text by Frati and Giulierini is sold out in all online bookstores. We must acknowledge that the Marciana Museum still holds surprises. Here we find a specillum with one fine tip and the other shaped like a paddle (a straight spatula) with Hippocrates’ loop in the middle. Could it have had a dual use? Or perhaps it wasn’t a probe but another dental instrument or something else entirely? Maybe some generous archaeologist, after reading this article, will call me and reveal the mystery. If it’s not too secret, I’ll try to share it with you as well. Beware of preservatives and natural flavors! Who knows if Hippocrates also recommended them…
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