Item B11 - D. Simal (Belgium) Surgeon’s Brace.
This
quite ornate and eye-catching surgeon’s brace was made by the firm of D. Simal
in Gembloux, Belgium. The firm was founded by Dieudonné Simal about 1852.
After establishing rapport with French surgeons in France, he returned to
Gembloux to make surgical tools primarily for the French market. This handsome
brace is nickel plated steel, likely produced after the advent of sterilization,
but before the use of stainless steel, about 1890 to 1900, I’d say. The brace
has a unique changeable chuck, with a screw lock form to accept round shanked
bits, that unlocks to a more traditional chuck that takes square tapered shanks
with notched tangs. There is some loss of nickel plating on the lower bow and
spindle, but it remains an attractive and unusual brace for a collection.
This sort of brace is sometimes known as a trepanning brace, for boring holes in
the skull to relieve pressure created by sudural bleeding caused by accidents or
injury. Good+
Price - $217.50
RETURN to forsale list.