...the same special, I think, although it was some time ago. There was mention about how surgical instruments were sterilized by heating them in a fire in a Roman hospital.

I too was fascinated by how closely ancient and modern surgical tools look. I had no trouble understanding what was what, and I recall the Roman surgeons using silver staples to close large wounds, much like it done today. They knew that silver was a metal that was biologically inert and wouldn't cause a reaction...same idea as an ear piercing, I supposed.

And lastly, a bit of shameless promotion...*grins and ducks*

Here's a link to a post I made some time ago about cataracts: Ancient Cataract Surgery.

~Faustina