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A probang is a surgical tool 30 to 40 cm long consisting of a flexible rod with a
sponge Sponges, the members of the phylum Porifera (; meaning 'pore bearer'), are a basal animal clade as a sister of the diploblasts. They are multicellular organisms that have bodies full of pores and channels allowing water to circulate throug ...
in the end used to remove foreign bodies or obstructions from the
oesophagus The esophagus (American English) or oesophagus (British English; both ), non-technically known also as the food pipe or gullet, is an Organ (anatomy), organ in vertebrates through which food passes, aided by Peristalsis, peristaltic contracti ...
. Its invention is credited to
Walter Rumsey Walter Rumsey (1584–1660) was a Welsh judge and politician who sat in the House of Commons in 1640. He suffered for his support of the Royalist cause in the English Civil War. He was also a man of arts and sciences, and developed plantsmanship, ...
(1584–1660), who invented it in the 17th century. Rumsey's probang was originally made using a long, slender rod of
whalebone Baleen is a filter-feeding system inside the mouths of baleen whales. To use baleen, the whale first opens its mouth underwater to take in water. The whale then pushes the water out, and animals such as krill are filtered by the baleen and ...
. A piece of
sponge Sponges, the members of the phylum Porifera (; meaning 'pore bearer'), are a basal animal clade as a sister of the diploblasts. They are multicellular organisms that have bodies full of pores and channels allowing water to circulate throug ...
was attached to one end and the tool which was used to push foreign bodies (lodged in the
oesophagus The esophagus (American English) or oesophagus (British English; both ), non-technically known also as the food pipe or gullet, is an Organ (anatomy), organ in vertebrates through which food passes, aided by Peristalsis, peristaltic contracti ...
) into the
stomach The stomach is a muscular, hollow organ in the gastrointestinal tract of humans and many other animals, including several invertebrates. The stomach has a dilated structure and functions as a vital organ in the digestive system. The stomach i ...
. In addition to their use in human surgery, probangs are also used by
veterinarian A veterinarian (vet), also known as a veterinary surgeon or veterinary physician, is a medical professional who practices veterinary medicine. They manage a wide range of health conditions and injuries in non-human animals. Along with this, vet ...
s on cattle, to reach obstructions and either force them along the oesophagus by (gently and carefully) using the probang as a ram or, by using a hollow probang into which a rod with a
corkscrew A corkscrew is a tool for drawing corks from wine bottles and other household bottles that may be sealed with corks. In its traditional form, a corkscrew simply consists of a pointed metallic helix (often called the "worm") attached to a hand ...
is attached, extract objects such as pieces of potato or turnip too long for the paunch.


See also

*
Instruments used in general surgery There are many different Surgery, surgical specialties, some of which require very specific kinds of Surgical instrument, surgical instruments to perform. General surgery is a specialty focused on the Abdomen, abdominal contents, as well as the ...


References


Further reading

* Surgical instruments {{medical-equipment-stub tl:Propilaksis