Dilator, mouth, probably 16th century, iron, from Tower of London after fire of 1841
Keeping the patient’s mouth open during treatments and surgery required an instrument like this mouth dilator. It was common for surgeons to perform tooth pulling as dentistry did not develop as a specialised discipline until the 1800s. This object was acquired from the Tower of London in 1841 after a fire destroyed most of the Grand Armoury.
Details
- Category:
- Clinical Diagnosis
- Collection:
- Sir Henry Wellcome's Museum Collection
- Object Number:
- A14485
- Materials:
- iron
- Measurements:
-
overall: 41 mm x 145 mm x 81 mm, .19kg
- type:
- mouth dilator
- credit:
- Loan, Wellcome Trust