Library News
From the Archive: Tonsil Guillotines
Our Archive contains many things, including some medical tools of interest for their design, function, or history. Some tools haven’t changed for decades or even hundreds of years, and others may seem primitive or misguided in their design. We hope these glimpses into medical history will remind you that medicine is a practice, and always evolving.
At first glance, you might not be able to guess what these instruments were designed to do. With a handle like a syringe, but no chamber to hold liquid, what is the purpose? The scoop at the top of 2 of the tools, shaped like the bucket of a front-end loader, is a meager clue. If the scoop holds something, why is the top closed? What are these things?
They are tonsil guillotines.
Tonsil guillotines were developed in the late 1800s to remove infected tonsils and uvulae. A squeeze of the handle opens the top of the scoop, into which the infected tonsil sits neatly. Releasing the handle closes the top, which is sharp enough to sever the tonsil. This made tonsillectomies quick, reducing the risk of choking- or of biting the surgeon! Some manufacturers even gave in to a spirit of whimsy, decorating the guillotines with filigreed swirls.
A few different designs of this tool exist, including a pared-down version with a moving blade but no scoop. The fork-prong model shown is interesting because the prongs themselves aren’t very sharp. The “blade” is actually the inner edge of the oval under the prongs. The prongs push tissue against the sharp edge, but don’t necessarily pierce it.
These and other tools are on display outside the GCSOM Library and available at the Health Sciences Library archive, by appointment (hsl@geisinger.edu). Contact the Reference Desk for more information via email: library@som.geisinger.edu, phone: 570-504-9665, or text: 570-715-6646.