100 • Oscar Urteaga-Ballon 



Figure 15. Prosthesis of the leg. Traumatologist examining patient's leg previous to 

 operation. Chimu culture, ceramic. Lima, Peru. 



Figure 16. Prosthesis of the leg. Second stage. Patient has been operated upon 

 recently. Two bones of left leg appear through surgical wound. Mochica culture, 

 ceramic. Lima, Peru. 



Figure 17. Prosthesis of the leg. Third stage. Wound appears completely healed. 

 Mochica culture, ceramic. Lima, Peru. 



Figure 18. Prosthesis of the leg. Fourth stage. Patient is testing prosthesis apparatus 

 with hand opposite to amputated leg. Mochica culture, ceramic. Lima, Peru. 



thesis attached to his right arm. Nine 

 ceramic pieces of the same Mochica 

 culture represent some prosthesis appa- 

 ratus. They correspond to the legs, 

 arms and hands. One of these pieces 

 represents a surgical knife held be- 

 tween the fingers. The surgical knife 

 was named "tumi" and the surgeons 

 used it in different types of operations. 

 Some ceramic pieces represent the sur- 

 geons with the tumi knife in their hand 

 during a cranial trephine. 



The representations of lesions and 

 prostheses, carved in Peruvian 

 ceramics more than 2000 years ago, are 

 graphic medical lessons proving the 

 knowledge and skill of pre-Columbian 

 physicians. These ceramic sculptures 

 illustrate an important chapter in the 

 history of medicine. 



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