Hand-operated trephine
Object No. 92/1759
This surgical instrument, called a trephine, was made in the 1800s and used as a saw to remove a disc of bone from the skull. Like early surgical instruments it has an ebony (wooden) handle with hatching to provide grip. Grooves, crevices, decorative trims and porous materials on instruments all provided harbours for bacteria.
Loading...
Summary
Object Statement
Trephine, metal / ebony wood, maker unknown, place of production unknown, 1820-1900
Physical Description
Hand-operated trephine comprising a metal shaft with an adjustable screw pin and an ebony handle fitted at a right angle to the shaft. The end of the shaft is fitted with a circular serrated cutting end.
DIMENSIONS
Height
112 mm
Width
94 mm
PRODUCTION
Notes
The trephine was probably made between 1820-1900. The design of this instrument, with small modifications, was standard from c. 1820 throughout the nineteenth century and into the 20th century (ref. Bennion, Antique Medical Instruments, Univ. California Press, 1979, pp. 27-33). However, by the late nineteenth century, the ebony handles were being replaced by aseptic, i.e. metal, handles.
HISTORY
Notes
The trephine is a circular surgical saw for removing a disc of bone from the cranium. The centre pin is for engaging the instrument in the skull, while the saw is rotated by the handle. A trepanning operation might be carried out to remove broken bone pieces, relieve pressure on the brain after an injury or remove a brain tumour.
SOURCE
Credit Line
Source unknown
Acquisition Date
16 September 1992
Copyright for the above image is held by the Powerhouse and may be subject to third-party copyright restrictions. Please submit an Image Licensing Enquiry for information regarding reproduction, copyright and fees. Text is released under Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivative licence.
Image Licensing Enquiry
Object Enquiry