Wooden snuff box showing a tooth extraction

Made:
1701-1900 in Europe
Wooden snuff box, cylindrical Wooden snuff box, cylindrical From the top: A642711, Wooden snuff box, cylindrical

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Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-SA 4.0 Licence

Buy this image as a print 

Buy

License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

License

Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-SA 4.0 Licence

Buy this image as a print 

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License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

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Wooden snuff box, cylindrical
Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum, London.

Wooden snuff box, cylindrical
Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum, London.

From the top: A642711, Wooden snuff box, cylindrical
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Wooden snuff box, cylindrical, lacquered and printed on the top with a scene of a dentist extracting a tooth

A painful tooth extraction is shown on the lid of this snuff box. A piece of string has been secured around the patient’s tooth and is being pulled by the dentist who is using his foot to brace himself against the patient’s jaw. The patient probably only had, at best, alcohol or herbal concoctions to relive the pain. Tooth pulling was carried out by a range of people including barber-surgeons and travelling practitioners, who often had limited medical skills at best. The illustration would suggest that the process was viewed as somewhat humorous – although not, presumably, by the patient.

Snuff was well-liked for its aroma, taste and nicotine boost. It was once believed to ward off colds, be good for ear, nose and throat problems and stop snoring. (Pictured here with two other snuff boxes showing tooth extractions A642702 and A642711).

Details

Category:
Smoking
Collection:
Sir Henry Wellcome's Museum Collection
Object Number:
A642713
Materials:
wood
Measurements:
overall: 25 mm 84 mm, .04 kg
type:
snuff box
credit:
Spink