Introduction

The Dental Museum of the Dental School of the University of Melbourne

In 1877 the Government of the Colony of Victoria established a Royal Commission on Public Education which amongst its recommendations was one indicating that a lectureship in dental surgery should be introduced in the recently established University. No official action was reported but this event undoubtedly influenced the leading dentists in the Colony to form, in 1884, the Odontological Society of Victoria (OSV) with the twin aims of educating dentists and offering treatment to the deserving poor. Very early in its life the society laid the foundations of a museum and library both of which exist today as the Dental Museum and the Dental Section of the Brownless Biomedical Library at the University of Melbourne.

In 1885 Mr. A.R. Clarke, a member of the society, gave a paper entitled Dental Education in which he extended the recommendation of the Royal Commission to that of setting up a dental department within the University of Melbourne. This was as yet a dream but the continuing efforts of the dentists enabled them to establish the Melbourne Dental Hospital, opened in 1890 by Sir James McBain, President of the Legislative Assembly. The Chairman of the Hospital Committee of Management at that time was Sir John LeFevre MLA. The dentists behind these momentous events were led by John Iliffe, with F.A. Kernot, a brother of the first Professor of Engineering in the University and some few others including Ernest Joske, a lawyer, as honorary secretary.

The euphoria of the members of the new hospital was such that they offered to teach the medical students of the Melbourne Hospital, which was just opposite the Dental Hospital in Lonsdale Street, in the art and science of extracting teeth but there are no records of the result of this gesture. However, as the hospital could offer instruction in clinical subjects only and as the authorities were most anxious to obtain reciprocity for their course with those controlled by the British Medical Council, instruction in the basic sciences was essential. To acquire this position the original group of dentists worked for and achieved the opening of the Australian College of Dentistry (ACD) in 1897 at 191 Lonsdale Street. The Councillors of the new college were proud to state that their entry requirements were the same as those of the University and they must have been even more pleased when Sir John Madden KCMG, Chancellor of the University of Melbourne, accepted an invitation to become President of the College, a position he held until his death in 1918.

Before the opening in 1907 of the new college building in Spring Street, dental students were attending the University of Melbourne for courses and lectures in anatomy, dissections, histology and pathology. The 1898-1899 College Handbook contains a time-table showing that some lectures, mainly because both lecturers and students were otherwise engaged during the day, were held in the evenings for example General Surgery, Pathology and Bacteriology by G.H. Mollison MD. Ch.B, Melb, MRCS Eng. 7.30-8.15 and Medicine, Materia Medica and Therapeutics 8.15-9.15 by J.E. Nihill MD., LRCP Lond, MRCS Eng. The well-known medical politician Dr. John Springfield, as President of the Dental Board of Victoria, had a strong influence not only upon what was taught at the College but also as to where any future building might be situated, he insisted that it be close to both the University and the Melbourne Hospital. However strong the desire for closer ties with academia some members of the College Council were fearful of losing control of its assets but with the support of their new President, and under the watchful eyes of Iliffe and Joske, a union took place in 1904 with the College becoming 'one of and within The University of Melbourne' and also the establishment of a Faculty of Dental Surgery, later Dental Science. Undoubtedly it was E. Joske's influence that made all the bodies with which he was associated keep and store their records, so that today we have documents and minutes from the first tentative meetings of the OSV in the early 1880s to establish a hospital and college to the Centenary of The Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne in 1990.

Due to the general interests of the Society in natural history stimulated no doubt by the visits of Charles Darwin to Australia and the recent, 1871 publication of his 'The Descent of Man' the early collection was mainly of human and animal specimens of teeth and jaws necessary for the teaching of comparative anatomy. An early photograph of the museum shows typical Victorian freestanding large display cabinets containing animal skulls and similar objects. Research improved methods of treatment which curiously saw changes in the nature of donations to the museum as the profession appeared to regard it as a depositary for old or superceded equipment. Over the years this has produced a gold mine of objects as little has been thrown away but unfortunately only a minority has a full provenance.

From the time of John Iliffe many have contributed to the dental museum; from the humblest beginning in a single cabinet it now contains instruments and equipment that cover not only the development of dentistry in Australia but because the first settlers were coming to a new land and had to bring with them all their tools of trade, books and instruments we have an insight as to the state of dentistry existing in many other countries at that time.

In 1907 when the Australian College of Dentistry, after many years in rented premises, was in a position to build its own school and hospital at 193 Spring Street Melbourne, a specific area was incorporated for the museum which was later fitted out for teaching and display. However as student numbers increased, and in spite of building an extension, the demands for extra accommodation caused a reduction in the museum area. The first dental dean, Professor F.C. Wilkinson (1924-34) reorganised the curriculum and the museum for the teaching of comparative dental anatomy. However other changes under Professor A.B.P Amies (1934-1968), together with more students, saw the whole of the museum, except for some departmental wall display units, placed in store and the area used for teaching. Professor H.F. Atkinson (1953-) at the departmental level introduced for teaching and research the display of special and historical museum items. Although several specimens were clearly marked with identifying numbers indicating that some form of a catalogue must have existed one was not found and therefore he began a new listing. In 1963 the School and Hospital made yet another move to the new school and hospital at 711 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne in which accommodation for the museum was included. With the help of many interested individuals, objects were brought from store and displays set up but, as in the past history was repeating and some ten years later the area had to be made over for library purposes due to increasing student numbers and the objects once more were packed and stored. Professor Atkinson continued collecting and cataloguing objects of interest many of which were displayed in the department. Preparations for the Centenary Year of the Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne in 1990 enabled a survey of the contents of the stored museum to be made and as a result many items were brought out for a public display given on the top floor of the School and Hospital building.

The absorption of the Dental Library into the new Biomedical Library housed in the Medical Faculty buildings returned some of the museum space to its original purpose and as a result funds were obtained and office and storage space constructed. Manual cataloguing was commenced in earnest by Professor Atkinson and now some two thousand items have been listed.

A most important bequest was made by Mr. John Iliffe who left to the College, amongst other items, his library which included the bound volumes of the Australian Dental Journal which contain his original signed bookplates. This collection is an indispensable resource in relation to the history of dentistry and the dental needs of the community. The University of Melbourne Archives holds the records of the College but as these lack personal histories Prof. Atkinson has, during the last twenty years, been compiling flies not only on the lives of academics but also on members of the profession; such records extend from student days and include both social and academic achievements, photographs, note books, army and war service and details of professional activities. This work has been helped considerably by the renewed interest of the present generation in the activities of their forbears.

The museum maintains an extensive range of catalogues of surgical and dental instruments and equipment makers the most important of which are Claudius Ash and Sons 1889, The Dental Manufacturing Co. 1912, and the S.S. White Dental Manufacturing Co. 1914. Included are the more modern catalogues of the above together with those of smaller firms who catered for the specialist market. Catalogues and contemporary texts are most useful in dating, restoring and understanding the use of early instruments and equipment.

As with most professions in the past, the budding dentist had to serve an apprenticeship of at least five years with a master, the time being divided between the fitting or impression room as the surgery was known then and the work room, later laboratory. The museum holds original indentures of early members of the profession. In the surgery clinical procedures were observed, mainly how to extract teeth as painlessly and quickly as possible, the fitting of crowns and dentures and in the laboratory the making of all appliances. Over the years as specialities developed such as dental surgery, orthodontics and crown and bridge, so did technicians and technologies to meet the expanding needs of these groups. The catalogue combines under the broad heading of 'clinical' all objects that are associated directly with the patient and under 'workroom', or 'mechanical dentistry' all those connected with the preparation of appliances for the patient.

As the main concern of the early dentist was the relief of pain, only possible by the removal of the cause, the collection contains examples of elevators, punch, curved and adjustable, 'pelicans', dental extraction keys and more than two hundred different dental extraction forceps. Some of the instruments are examples of the blacksmith's art of forging while others are classical examples of superb craftsmanship which could not be bettered today. The oldest specimens are from the early 1700s. Leather rolls of instruments containing originally mouth mirror, probe, and up to eight pairs of forceps, are held which were used by either 'visiting' or 'travelling' dentists as they were easily packed and fitted well into the saddle bag.

Dentists were quick to follow Dr. Alexander Wood, an Edinburgh physician, in the 1850 in the use of the hypodermic syringe for the relief of pain. The early dental syringes were highly prized instruments supplied in a fitted plush lined case with two gold-plated needles, one straight and one curved. The specimens held follow the development of the syringe and associated local anaesthetic techniques to the single use all plastic instruments to the side and breech loading modern cartridge types.

Examples of dental chairs, dental units, engines, cabinets and X-ray machines are held most of which date from the first production of the item, for example chairs from the 1890s and X-ray machines from the 1920s.

The modern restorative instruments developed from 'plugging' and 'pluggers' used to condense gold or tin foil into the cavity through to Dr. G.V. Black's unique sets of excavators, spoons and chisels to the modern types. Examples of all of the above are held. As dentists had to rely entirely upon manual dexterity and skill in cavity preparation, the first drills were finger operated, twisted between thumb and forefinger, which were followed by various single or two-handed mechanisms to be rendered obsolete in the mid 1850s by the development of the foot engine or pedal operated drill, a machine which remained virtually unchanged and in constant use for one hundred years. The collection contains examples of all of the above together with a very early electric dental engine of the 1890s which as well as driving the drill it could also supply a low voltage current at a variable frequency to operate other instruments.

Boxed sets of instruments are also held for the scaling and cleaning of the teeth which are of various designs and superbly made with handles of ivory, bone or plastic (xylonite). Some sets include a small mirror in the lid of the case possibly for D.I.Y use or so that the patient could follow progress.

Examples of students' technical work throughout the course are available together with various examples of teaching and demonstration objects. Of considerable interest is the collection of dentures donated by patients who had received a new set or from a deceased estate. Most show a very high level of skill and anatomical knowledge having been carved from solid blocks of either ivory or bone and as satisfactory porcelain teeth were not available until the end of the 1880s human teeth were fitted in the anterior regions. Other examples are made on a gold base that was made to fit the mouth by a process of swaging and handwork. As this type of denture was very heavy, they were frequently fitted with springs to hold in place during speaking and eating. A set similar to the one worn by President George Washington complete with human front teeth and springs is in the collection. The fabrication of crowns and dentures requires a well-fitted out workroom or laboratory containing gas-air torches, foot bellows to supply the air, gold casting machines of both the steam pressure and centrifugal types, platting or rolling mills to form plate from gold ingots, swaging equipment including zinc dies and lead counters made specifically for each patient and pliers, punches, chasers and shears of a variety of shapes and sizes. All are present in the collection.

When it was discovered that the process of vulcanising rubber could be applied to the fabrication of dentures a completely new set of workroom appliances were required which included investing flasks of bronze alloy, bench presses and small high pressure chambers known as 'vulcanisers' in which to carry out the process. Special formulated rubbers were used to pack into the moulds prior to vulcanisation. Examples of all forms of artificial teeth tube, pivot, platinum pin, gold pin, diatoric and facings are held.

Professor Henry Atkinson