W PEPYS, CIRCA 1800

Details

A GEORGIAN TREPANNING SET
W Pepys, circa 1800
signed on the forceps W PEPYS, ivory brush, turned wooden handles, in green felt fitted case.
8½in. (22cm.) long

Literature

See plate XXI, in Kirkup. The evolution of surgical
instruments: an illustrated history from ancient times to the twentieth century (Novato, CA: 2006).

Special notice

Prospective purchasers are advised that several countries prohibit the importation of property containing materials from endangered species, including but not limited to coral, ivory and tortoiseshell. Accordingly, prospective purchasers should familiarize themselves with relevant customs regulations prior to bidding if they intend to import this lot into another country.

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Lot Essay

Trepanning is the neurosurgical practice of drilling or scraping a circular hole into the human skull in order to treat intracranial illness. The method is typically used to relieve pressure on the brain and is believed to be known as the earliest recorded surgical practice after trepanation holes were discovered on prehistoric skulls. Trepanning was historically used to treat everything from migraines to seizures, and is still used today as a treatment for epidural and subdural hematomas.

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