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Toothache and Trauma: A History of the Toothkey

    The Pelican

    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.

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    By the 18th century, each pelican was unique, being produced by an instrument-maker to the practitioner’s specifications. A variety of bolster shapes combined with claw lengths allowed extraction of different teeth.

    Courtesy of Martino Publishing, Eastford, CT — Colyer, 2006
    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
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