LDBDA : 209

extraction key

single crank key with ivory handle. Claw and finger hold kept in place with same screw.

This key was designed in 1811 by Simpson. The key has a finger rest situated on the shaft, which is connected by a spindle to the claw. The operator can turn the claw by moving the finger rest from side to side, thereby avoiding having to place thier fingers inside the patients mouth. This key has a single crank in the shaft. This crank was introduced in 1765 by Ferdinand Julius Leber. It stopped the tooth being extracted from pushing against and damaging adjacent teeth.

maker: Simpson, Robert 1800-1825

handle ivory; shaft steel; handle screw brass; length 152mm