Spoon of Diocles

The spoon of Diocles (Greek: κυαθίσκος τοῦ Διοκλέους) was a Roman surgical instrument described by Celsus.^[1] The instrument was designed by Diocles of Carystus to remove arrows from the human body. The instrument was used to remove the injured eye of Philip II without disfiguring him.^[1]

No genuine examples of the Spoon of Diocles are known to have survived to the present day,^[2] although some collections have forgeries and/or misidentified items.^[3] Historians Brian Campbell and Lawrence A. Tritle have expressed skepticism about the Spoon's authenticity, emphasizing that all information about the Spoon is based solely on writings by Celsus, with no mentions in works by others; they also feel that "it sounds impractical."^[4]

References

1. "Ancient Medical Instruments". Retrieved 26 June 2015.
2. Archaeological Remains as a Source of Evidence for Roman Medicine, by Patricia A. Baker, in Medicina Antiqua, published 2009; retrieved July 2, 2015
3. Book Review: The Treatment of War Wounds in Graeco-Roman Antiquity by Christine Salazar, reviewed by Lawrence J. Bliquez; in Bulletin of the History of Medicine, Volume 75, Number 3, Fall 2001 (page 557-558); 10.1353/bhm.2001.0108; retrieved July 2, 2015
4. The Oxford Handbook of Warfare in the Classical World, by Brian Campbell and Lawrence A. Tritle; published March 14 2013 by Oxford University Press (via Google Books)