Speculum

Two specula from the 19th century

A speculum (from Latin speculum: " mirror "; Pl .: specula) is a medical examination instrument for three different applications - the examination of the vagina, the rectum and the nose.

description

Duckbill vaginal speculum

Gynecological specula

Specula are inserted into the vagina during gynecological exams . Many specula then allow the two leaves to spread apart so that the vagina can be expanded. This makes the vaginal skin and the cervix visible and accessible. With Spekula it possible concessions from the cervix to remove or other instruments through the cervix into the uterus bring. After the examination, the leaves are closed again and the speculum is removed.

In order to do justice to the individual anatomical conditions of all patients, specula are available in different sizes. Metal specula are usually warmed up. In many examinations, the specula can be wetted with gel to facilitate insertion. Since these gels can falsify the results of some cytological or microbiological tests, they cannot always be used. The examiner then tries to facilitate insertion by wetting the speculum with warm water.

Otorhinological specula

Other, much smaller nasal specula are used in ear, nose and throat medicine to examine the nasal cavity and nasal passages.

Proctological instruments

In proctology , rectal specula allow the rectum and anal canal to open and unfold .

history

Stainless, sterilizable and reusable metal specula are used. Today specula made of transparent plastic are also used as single-use items.

The history of this instrument goes back a long way: vaginal specula were used by the Romans and were found in Pompeii , among other places . Nasal specula, on the other hand, were only established by Gustav Killian at the end of the 19th century .

Josephine Butler , the British leading figure in the fight against the British Contagious Disease Act in the 19th century, described the use of the speculum in testing prostitutes for sexually transmitted diseases as rape . Similarly, used Luce Irigaray in her for feminist philosophy central work Speculum of the opposite sex (1974) the speculum as a symbol of male domination.

Specula are also sometimes used as sex toys today.

Designs

Glass specula

Vaginal specula

Number of leaves

Without leaves

• Fergusson
• Glass speculum

1 sheet

Auvard Breisky Doyen Eastman Jackson Kallmorgen Kristeller

Landau Martin Mathieu Samuel Scherbak Sims, named after J. Marion Sims (1813–1883) Weissbarth

2-leaf

Speculum Collin

Trelat speculum

Collin Cusco DeVilbiss Grave

Pederson Semm Seyffert Trelat Winterton

3-leaf

Guttmann Nott

O'Sullivan-O'Connor Polansky (veterinary medicine)

Sims speculum

Rectal specula

Number of leaves

1 sheet

• Czerny

Alan Park speculum

2-leaf

Barr Floor hammer Killian park Pratt

Ricord Roschke Sims Smith-Buie

Speculum Cook (similar)

3-leaf

• Alan Park
• cook
• Mathieu

Nasal specula

Killian Vienna

Voltolini Yankauer

swell

1. ↑ Cecilia Mettler : History of Medicine . The Blakiston Co, 1947.
2. ↑ Barbara I. Tshisuaka: Sims, James Marion. In: Werner E. Gerabek , Bernhard D. Haage, Gundolf Keil , Wolfgang Wegner (eds.): Enzyklopädie Medizingeschichte. De Gruyter, Berlin / New York 2005, ISBN 3-11-015714-4 , p. 1334.

literature

• Luce Irigaray : Speculum. Mirror of the opposite sex , Suhrkamp, ​​2001, ISBN 3518109464

Web links

Commons : Speculums  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Wiktionary: Speculum  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations

• Overview of the different types of speculum