By the 16th century, the pelican was the primary device used by traveling tooth-drawers. Typically the patient was seated on the floor or a low stool with their head tilted back and held securely between the operator’s legs.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, each pelican was unique, being produced by an instrument-maker to the practitioner’s specifications.
Explore this item in the slideshow below. Click each image to see the full version.
Pelican Replica
Unlike most of the ornate, adjustable pelicans of the 17th and 18th centuries, this circa 1600 wood pelican replica (A60.1) illustrates a broad body form and simple mechanism.
University of the Pacific Permanent Collection,
Donor: Unknown
Pelican with one arm
A Single Early Pelican, Planche 23. Public Domain: Fauchard 1728.
Pelican with two arms
A Double Early Pelican, Planche 26. Public Domain: Fauchard 1728.
Pelican Variety Illustration
A variety of 18th century pelican bolster shapes combined with claw lengths allowed extraction of different teeth.
Courtesy of Martino Publishing, Eastford, CT — Colyer, 2006
