Roman Medical Equipment

[Lucius Duccius Rufinus]

I know this has probably been asked before. But i'm very intregued by roman battlefield techniques. Like how were men carted off the field when they were injured? were there orderlies sitting just behind the front lines? or was it when the front lines pushed forward that these men were carried back? or was it just after the battle that this occured?

I'm also quite curious about replica roman medical equipment, is there anyone who currently supplies these?

Cheers

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

There are a few sources of reconstructed medical bit and bobs.

I think if you look at the RMRS site, Len makes some, then Holger Ratsdorf as well.


www.hr-replikate.de

I can't open it out here for some reason but there should be some items on his site if you browse around.

[Lucius Duccius Rufinus]

That'd be great byron, I'll need to show you the original pieces i've got.. I'll show you the pics from the auction....




But it'd be quite good to have some replica ones that we can show off at events I'm going to be a well paid milites... i'll be a Medico and Signifier

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

:lol: :lol:

Well, the way NUNU deals with the Celts, I'll be centurio in no time ! :lol:

You can always practise on him!!

[Lucius Duccius Rufinus]

haha...can you imagine... I dont want to have to stitch up his NADs after they were crushed under a celtic stick!

[PhilusEstilius]

I don't know if he supplies them but Tony Drake has the best collection of Roman field medical kit I've seen.

[Tiberius Clodius Corvinus]

Like how were men carted off the field when they were injured? were there orderlies sitting just behind the front lines?

I read somewhere (most likely here on RAT), that ordinary soldiers (one man from every contubernium) were held just behind the battle line to take care of the wounded and to "medivac" them.

here are some pic's of Brennivs' (Tony Drake) amazing replica of surgical kit

http://www.romanarmy.com/rat/viewtopic.php?t=16414

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

Damn! I had a lucky escape........I never even thought to ask him
if he made other things...his swords are enough to keep you occupied!

[Gaius Julius Caesar]

BTW, Lucius where are you getting all these things?

[Lucius Duccius Rufinus]

byron, what things are those? The artifacts? The wonderful place that is ebay haha. ) i'm a bit addicted to building up my kit haha.

[Martin Moser]

I know this has probably been asked before. But i'm very intregued by roman battlefield techniques. Like how were men carted off the field when they were injured? were there orderlies sitting just behind the front lines? or was it when the front lines pushed forward that these men were carried back? or was it just after the battle that this occured?

Short answer: We don't know :-( (
There is one scene on Traian's Column where wounded soldiers are treated, but no indication of medici at work there. Could be capsarii or maybe even just normal comrades. For a discussion of Roman medical care, instruments, and knowledge, please check my books/article list which I posted here.
Especially:

Davies, Roy.W. Some Roman Medicine. Medical History, Vol XIV, No. 1, Jan. 1970. 101-106

Davies, Roy.W. The Medici of the Roman Armed Forces. Epigraphische Studien 8. Düsseldorf, 1969. 82-99

Davies, Roy W. The Roman Military Medical Service. Saalburg Jahrbuch 27, 1970. 84-104

Nutton, Vivian. Medicine and the Roman Army: A Further Reconsideration. Medical History 13, 1969. 260-270

Wilmanns, Juliane C. Der Sanitätsdienst im Römischen Reich. Eine sozialgeschichtliche Studie zum Römischen Militärsanitätswesen nebst einer Prosopographie des Sanitätspersonals, Medizin der Antike, Band 2, Olms – Weidmann, Hildesheim, 1995