| Reference Number | MIMM/2017-5/7 |
| Title | Mathieu's Tonsil Guillotine |
| Date | 1875-1925 |
| Description | This long-handled tonsil guillotine, Mathieu's type, and includes a two-pronged spear held within three circular guarding rings. Two circular rings can be gripped from the side to push the fork forward to cut away tonsils.
The Mathieu's guillotines had four (1= smallest, 4= biggest) different sizes, and this appears to be size three.
The item is heavily corroded.
There is an engraving at the base "D.R.G.M. 64273" [possibly referring to the patent protection's marking by "Deutsches Reich Gebrauchsmuster" and the patent number "64273", narrowing down the origin of the item between 1891 and 1945].
The first model of a tonsil guillotine was produced in 1828. Around 1832 William Fahnestock incorporated a small hook in order to hold tonsil.
The guillotine required the use of both hands to operate and also depended on the aid of an assistant to help press the tonsil into the instrument. |
| Extent | 1 item |
| Dimensions | 246mm x 57mm x 14mm |
| Digital Collections | View online in our digital collections |
| Copyright | Free to use under the terms of the Creative Commons Licence Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) |
| Credit Line | Royal College of Physicians of Ireland |
| Object Name | Tonsil Guillotine |
| Term | Otolaryngology |
| Otorhinolaryngologic Surgical Procedures |
| Otolaryngology -- instrumentation |
| Surgical Equipment |