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Health and wellbeing in the ancient world
Health and wellbeing in the ancient world

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2 Healing the eyes

In this section, you will investigate in more detail what was done for eye disease, particularly in the Roman world, looking at both salves and surgery.

Stone-carved relief of an eye doctor examining the eyes of a patient.
Figure 6 Doctor examining the eye of a patient
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Image of a stone-carved relief of an eye doctor with a patient. The patient is seated on the left, while the doctor is standing on the right. He seems to be applying a salve to his patient’s eyes. Above and to the side of both figures are bell-shaped objects, or cupping glasses, which symbolise the practice of medicine.

Figure 6 Doctor examining the eye of a patient