A Musical Peddling Dentist

Join Our Community of Science Lovers!


On supporting science journalism

If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.


One M. Duchesne has been driving about Paris in a gaudy wagon and with a band of music, taking out teeth. He stops in some frequented place, collects a crowd by means of the cymbal, and then invites the afflicted to apply at once for extraction and relief. A notice on the side of the wagon reads thus:— " 5,000 francs if I miss a tooth." Each applicant mounts on the seat with M. Duchesne, who demands the coin before proceeding.— The head is then inclined backwards, the mouth opened, the tweezers inserted, and the tooth snatched from its gory bed. It is held I up in the air an instant lor the admiration oi the multitude, and at each extraction the drum gives a bang of triumph..

Scientific American Magazine Vol 8 Issue 38This article was published with the title “A Musical Peddling Dentist” in Scientific American Magazine Vol. 8 No. 38 (), p. 297
doi:10.1038/scientificamerican06041853-297c

It’s Time to Stand Up for Science

If you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.

I’ve been a Scientific American subscriber since I was 12 years old, and it helped shape the way I look at the world. SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does that for you, too.

If you subscribe to Scientific American, you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.

In return, you get essential news, captivating podcasts, brilliant infographics, can't-miss newsletters, must-watch videos, challenging games, and the science world's best writing and reporting. You can even gift someone a subscription.

There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you’ll support us in that mission.

Thank you,

David M. Ewalt, Editor in Chief, Scientific American

Subscribe