Hippocratic Collection surgery discussed something about fractures and dislocations. Fractures of the spinous processes of the vertebrae were popular. Femur dislocations of two kinds;forwards on to the obturator region and backwards on to the dorsum ilii were also common and described in the Hippocratic collection. The doctrines regarding fractures and dislocations needed no help from dissection. The collection also incorporated chapters on wounds and injuries of the head, depressed fracture and the contrecoup and also specified many forms of wounds and injuries of other parts which were adapted by the next generations (Michler, 1972).
Learning surgery during that era was based from books and manual skills in operations as were shown using wax spread on board, cucumbers, and other soft fruits. Hollow stalks of water lilies and leather bag filled with soft mud and water were used to in learning classes as a practice for students as the tap and punctured the objects. Fresh hides of animals were bleeded were also practiced as pafrt of their learning.
Still, due to religious respects and beliefs, the culture of being unwilling to draw blood and obstruct life, Greek surgery did not developed so much and hindered the learning process to treat patients through operative procedures (Michler, 1972). No progress was recorded between the Hippocratic era and the foundation of the Alexandrian school. Human anatomy was cultivated and allegations of vivisection at the hands of Herophilus and Erasistratus. The movement appears to be the boldness and precision of operative procedure as well as the subdivision of practice into a number of specialties.
The generation following the great innovators medicine and surgery parted ways and schools were in a state of rivalry. The interests of both varied to a great extent and thus made little progress in medical practices. However, there was an improvement with regards to the dressings and bandaging and was able to invent varieties (Michler, 1972). In the Classical World, surgeons also utilized surgical instruments to treat sicknesses and injuries. Doctors, as ancient texts mention, had access on surgical tools that Hippocrates used and was still available through the late Roman Empire.
The tools are also of similar form compared to those used by physicians in the modern world. Simple well polished tools such as knives, saws, tweezers, awls, drills, clamps and pliers were used during the classical times. Surgical tools needed to be sharp enough to divide a hair and perfectly clean. Herophilus used knife even on internal organs such as liver and spleen and was able to treat retention of urine using a specific catheter (Milne, 1907). Scalpels were used in performing surgical operations and were usually made of steel, bronze, or combination of the two metals.
The function and form of scalpel were similar compared to its modern counterpart. Long scalpels were employed to make deep and long cuts and a wide variety of incisions. Physician in the classical era used bellied scalpels for incision between ribs since the shape of this scalpel make more delicate cuts. Hooks as a common instrument in classical surgery comprised of two kinds; the sharp and the blunt. Like the scalpels, hooks are also used by modern doctors and have the same purpose, as probes for dissection. Blunt hooks were also known to be employed for raising blood vessels.
Sharp hooks, on the other hand, hold and lift small pieces of tissue to be extracted and also for the purpose of retracting wound edges. Finely toothed jaw forceps such as Uvula crushing forceps are also popular as a surgical instrument for uvula amputation. According to Aetius of the early sixth century, the procedure of crushing the uvula with forceps was done before cutting it off to prevent hemorrhage (Milne, 1907). Bone forceps, on the other hand, were usually used together with bone drills and were specially made for extracting small fragments of bone.