Antik Çağ’da Strigilisin Ecza Amaçlı Kullanımı: Veriler ve Kanıt

Pharmaceutical Purpose of the Strigilis in Antiquity Data and Evidence (English Summary) Most of the herbal, mineral and bestial materials which we use in pharmacology today had also been taken into use for thousands of years without changing. Except for the materials used for preparations such as mortars, grinding plates and conservators, the types of spoons are the most common instruments of all. Some antique sources and findings show that in some instances “strigilis” were used instead of these spoons. Strigilis is a curved blade used by the ancient Romans and Greeks to scrape the body after bathing. Part of the bathing and personal hygiene routine in ancient Rome involved cleaning the body with oil. Having rubbed the oil in, a strigilis was used to scrape away any excess as well as any dead skin and dirt. Athletes also used strigilis to remove dirt, dust and oil from their bodies after exercise. This was sometimes bottled and sold as a medical treatment. It is desirable also to pour some medicament into the ear, and this should always be made lukewarm beforehand; and is best dropped in from a strigilis. Occasionally instruments not originally manufactured for surgical purposes were implemented. Galenos (XII.622-623) , Celsus (VI.7.1) , Plinius (XXV.103) , Marcellus Empiricus (IX.1) and Scribonius Largus’un (XXXIX) mention that the strigilis, a curved piece of metal with a handle used for scraping oil and sweat off the body after exercise, was often used to get into small openings. Galenos (XII.622), mentioned that the strigilis, a curved piece of metal with a handle used for scraping oil and sweat off the body after exercise was often used to get into small openings, so as Galenos said, “After having heated the fat of a squirrel in a strigilis, insert it into the auditory canal”. Celsus (VI.7.1) also directs that certain medicinal preparations can be warmed and allowed to drop into the ear by means of a strigilis, an appliance normally used by the Romans for scraping away sweat and dirt in the baths: “If severe inflammation entirely prevents sleep, there should be added to the poultice half its quantity of toasted and pounded poppy-head rind, and this should be boiled down with the rest in diluted raisin wine. It is desirable also to pour some medicament into the ear, and this should always be made lukewarm beforehand; and is best dropped in from a strigilis. When the ear is full, soft wool is applied over it to keep in the fluid. And these are the medicaments generally used for this purpose: but also there is rose oil and around-root juice and oil in which worms have been boiled, juice expressed from bitter almonds or from peach-kernels”. It’s possible that a “strigilis” found in a tomb of a medicine from Roman Imperial period was used for pharmacology. Outside of the tomb context (in a settlement for instance) when a strigilis was found, it’s hard to determine the relation on it’s use for pharmacological purposes. Surveys of researches on the metal findings of Allianoi, retains clarifying many issues of the Anatolian history of medicine. The pieces of strigilis’ found in Allianoi show strong evidences in terms of it’s use in medicine.