Читать книгу Materials for Biomedical Engineering - Mohamed N. Rahaman - Страница 38

A prosthetic toe formed from wood and leather (both naturally available materials), has been found in an Egyptian mummy dating back to around 1000 BC, while one of the earliest prosthetic arms, composed of iron, is reported to have been used by a Roman general around 200 BC. Archeologists have reported the use of linen sutures by the early Egyptians and catgut sutures in the Middle Ages in Europe. Artificial eyeballs made from gold several centuries ago to replace eyeballs lost as a result of disease or injury evolved into the use of glass by the Venetians in the sixteenth century and, later, in other parts of Europe. Prosthetic teeth, made from gold or carved from dog or calf teeth, were anchored with gold wire or gold plate to form dental restorations which have been found in tombs from the Etruscan civilization dating back to 300–800 BC. Dental implants composed of iron are reported to have been found in a human skeleton dating back to approximately 200 BC in France.