History of the Tooth Key

What is a Tooth Key? The tooth key, also known as a dental key, was used in dentistry to extract diseased teeth. The original design from the 1700s featured a straight shaft that exerted too much pressure on the tooth next to the one being extracted. A newer design in 1765 featured a slightly bent shaft. The MHC's tooth key is from the 1800s.

Origins

The Universal Guide: Started by Elliott Carr Cutler and central Ohio surgeon Robert M. Zollinger, the Atlas of Surgical Operations is a standard textbook used around the world to demonstrate anatomy and surgical techniques.

Always Improving: The 5th edition of the Atlas of Surgical Operations, shown here, contains Dr. Zollinger Sr.’s handwritten notes for how he was going to revise the material for the 6th edition.

Current Day

Background

Acceptance Letter Who? The concept of getting accepted to medical school did not used to exist. Medical schools were proprietary in nature. The faculty, who were independent entrepreneurs, collected fees directly from students and in return, issued them tickets for admission to their course. Individual professors paid whatever overhead was due, such as rent, to the dean and kept the remainder as profit. With few exceptions, this system prevailed at both private and university-affiliated schools.

More Info

Background

Who is Charles V. Pavey? Pavey's medical career spanned 57 years; 43 of which were spent as a member of the Ohio State University faculty. He also unofficially held the title of most experienced obstetrician in Columbus. In his 57 years of service, Pavey is said to have delivered more than 25,000 babies.

Pavey received a Bachelor of Science from Ohio State in 1926 and an MD in 1928. At age 22, he was the youngest person to graduate from The Ohio State University College of Medicine.

The Book