The apparatus used by the Greeks and Romans in the setting of fractures and the reduction of dislocations

The essay surveys the devices and dressings employed by ancient Greek and Roman practitioners for reducing fractures and dislocations, drawing on classical authorities such as Hippocrates, Galen, Celsus, Heliodorus, and Paulus Ægineta and illustrated by historical engravings. It describes practical materials and techniques: roller bandages smeared with cerate, layered linen compresses, staged treatment with initial waxed bandages and pads followed by splints after swelling subsides, specialized splints and supports, and measures for compound fractures. Arrangements for mechanical reduction, including ladders, bindings, and thongs, and recommendations on splint construction and care are also detailed.