A surgical instrument consisting of a wire or chain loop used to cut through tissue or remove growths by gradually tightening the loop.
From French 'écraseur,' literally 'one who crushes' (from 'écraser' meaning to crush). This surgical instrument was developed in the 19th century as a method to remove tumors, hemorrhoids, and other growths through controlled crushing rather than cutting.
Before modern medicine had sharp scalpels and lasers, surgeons had this gnarly tool: they'd put a wire loop around a growth and slowly tighten it until the tissue died and fell off! It sounds medieval, but it was actually brilliant because the gradual crushing caused blood vessels to seal as it worked. It's still occasionally used today in specialized surgery.
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