The Collaborative International Dictionary
Probang \Pro"bang\, n. [See Probe.] A slender elastic rod, as of whalebone, with a sponge on the end, for removing obstructions from the esophagus, etc.
Wiktionary
n. A slender elastic rod, as of whalebone, with a sponge on the end, for removing obstructions from the oesophagus, etc.
Wikipedia
A probang is a surgical tool 30 to 40 cm long consisting of a flexible rod with a sponge in the end used to remove foreign bodies or obstructions from the oesophagus. Its invention is credited to Walter Rumsey (1584-1660), who invented it in the 17th century. Rumsey's probang was originally made using a long, slender rod of whalebone. A piece of sponge was attached to one end and the tool which was used to push foreign bodies (lodged in the oesophagus) into the stomach.
In addition to their use in human surgery, probangs are also used by veterinarians 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 is attached, extract objects such as pieces of potato or turnip too long for the paunch.
Usage examples of "probang".
Siegfried, still without speaking, wrapped his probang around him and strode from the room.
Apply this preparation to the enlarged tonsils twice a day, with a probang, or soft swab, being careful to paint them each time.
Most of these people were not even mentally unwell, but their tendency to choke at dinner time meant that the piece of medical equipment he had used most was not a stethoscope or a thermometer but a probang, an instrument for pushing stuck food down the oesophagus, something he had been instructed to carry at all times.
An operation on the esophagus was immediately commenced, but abandoned, and an attempt made to push the fish down with a probang, which was, in a measure, successful.