I came across references to Pedro Pompey while doing other research; I thought the reference to this 'big black man' as the only dentist in Kingston in the 1850s was of considerable interest. I have however only found confirmation of his existence, but nothing much more on his background or career. It would be good to be able to find more information, and to fit him into the history of the medical professions in Jamaica.
Eugene Finzi, writing in the Gleaner in March 1933:
'I was born long years ago [probably about 1849] in a house in East Street at the foot of the race course, which then belonged to my family. In my infancy I was taken into town on one occasion along with a little cousin a couple of years my senior by our nurses. At that period there was only one dentist in Kingston by the name of Pedro Pompey, who was a big black man and who looked to me like a foreigner. I remember being taken into two of his rooms, in one of which was a capacious dental chair into which the unfortunates had to sit; but what struck me most was a large key about 18 ins. long which lay on a little round table on the top of what looked like a folded tablecloth. I was told that this formidable instrument was used to relieve human beings of bad teeth. When the time for the operation came it was placed cross-wise on a bar, the key part which had certain grooves in it being slipped over the tooth to be extracted. The handle of the key then stood out away from the chair and Dr. Pompey placing his right hand upon it, threw at the precise moment his weight on the top of it, which was generally followed by a shriek from the unfortunate victim, the tooth in some cases being found on the floor. When I heard these horrid details I was delighted to be taken away from the place.'
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from Wikipedia
The dental key is an instrument that was used in dentistry to extract diseased teeth. Before the era of antibiotics, dental extraction was often the method of choice to treat dental infections, and extraction instruments date back several centuries. The dental key, (also known as Clef de Garengeot, Fothergill-Key, English-Key, Dimppel Extractor or Tooth Key) was first mentioned in Alexander Monro's Medical Essays and Observations in 1742, but had probably been in use since around 1730. It remained popular into the 20th century when it was replaced by the more modern forceps. Modeled after a door key, the dental key was used by first inserting the instrument horizontally into the mouth, then its "claw" would be tightened over a tooth. The instrument was rotated to loosen the tooth. This often resulted in the tooth breaking, causing jaw fractures and soft tissue damage. The design of the dental key evolved over the years. The original design featured a straight shaft, which caused it to exert pressure on the tooth next to the one being extracted. This led to a newer design in 1765 by F. J. Leber where the shaft was slightly bent. In 1796 the claw was fixed via a swivel enabling it to be set in various positions by a spring-catch. Newer designs, such as those manufactured by medical instrument maker Charriere featured interchangeable claws. By the end of the 19th century, the introduction of forceps made popular notably by Sir John Tomes, rendered the tooth key mostly obsolete. |
Some personal information:
There are a few references to Pedro Pompey/Pompee in local records:
He was apparently married in 1853.
Roman Catholic marriages:
Pompee, Pedro Paul m 9/21/1853 Maria Damiane Casis. Wit: Susan Rebecca Burton, Adelaide Eliza Tindall, George Pride, Robert Brooks, Benjamin Henry Dias. [all signatures]
Roman Catholic marriages:
Pompee, Pedro Paul m 9/21/1853 Maria Damiane Casis. Wit: Susan Rebecca Burton, Adelaide Eliza Tindall, George Pride, Robert Brooks, Benjamin Henry Dias. [all signatures]
He was also a Freemason, although apparently a Roman Catholic:
Jamaica Almanac, 1861
ROYAL LODGE, No. 250, Prov. No. 1. Meets on the first Monday in every month.
Worshipful Henry W. Morris, master
Brother William Abrahams, senior warden
Charles H. Davis, junr. Warden
Henry Midnight, treasurer
John B. Morris, secretary
Jacob Alvarenga, senior deacon
Charles McLean, junior deacon
Pedro Pompee, inner guard
Jules Desnoes, tyler.
Past Masters, Wor. John Nunes, John Burger, Robert Osborn, John Ware, John J. Duval, Henry Garcia.
Jamaica Almanac, 1861
ROYAL LODGE, No. 250, Prov. No. 1. Meets on the first Monday in every month.
Worshipful Henry W. Morris, master
Brother William Abrahams, senior warden
Charles H. Davis, junr. Warden
Henry Midnight, treasurer
John B. Morris, secretary
Jacob Alvarenga, senior deacon
Charles McLean, junior deacon
Pedro Pompee, inner guard
Jules Desnoes, tyler.
Past Masters, Wor. John Nunes, John Burger, Robert Osborn, John Ware, John J. Duval, Henry Garcia.
He died in 1864, and was buried as a Roman Catholic:
BURIALS,
HOLY TRINITY (ROMAN CATHOLIC)
1858-1867
Pompee, Pedro, bu 8/1/1864, dentist, native of Charleston, America, resident in Kingston,
d 7/31/1864 at noon, aged 49 yrs.
BURIALS,
HOLY TRINITY (ROMAN CATHOLIC)
1858-1867
Pompee, Pedro, bu 8/1/1864, dentist, native of Charleston, America, resident in Kingston,
d 7/31/1864 at noon, aged 49 yrs.
An item from 1872 suggests that he had a son, bearing the same name:
Roman Catholic marriages:
Brandon, Ernest m 1/23/1872 Isabella Delrio, both of Kingston. Wit: Charles Samuel Jolly, John E. Valencia, Theresa Terneau, Geraldine Riveira, Esther Qualo, Pedro Pompee, Maria Damian Pompee, Elizabeth Landa, Elizabeth Arl__. [sigs]
Roman Catholic marriages:
Brandon, Ernest m 1/23/1872 Isabella Delrio, both of Kingston. Wit: Charles Samuel Jolly, John E. Valencia, Theresa Terneau, Geraldine Riveira, Esther Qualo, Pedro Pompee, Maria Damian Pompee, Elizabeth Landa, Elizabeth Arl__. [sigs]
This item may also refer to such a son:
Daily Gleaner, October 17, 1899
Had Both Legs Broken
A man named Pedro Pompee, residing at Church Street, Kingston, was taken to the Public Hospital on Wednesday last having had his two legs broken.
It appears that Pompee went to St Andrew to effect some repairs to a well and while doing so he fell into the well and had both of his legs broken. He was taken up and conveyed to the Public Hospital, where he received unremitting attention, but it was afterwards found necessary to amputate one of his legs which was done. He is still at the Hospital.
Daily Gleaner, October 17, 1899
Had Both Legs Broken
A man named Pedro Pompee, residing at Church Street, Kingston, was taken to the Public Hospital on Wednesday last having had his two legs broken.
It appears that Pompee went to St Andrew to effect some repairs to a well and while doing so he fell into the well and had both of his legs broken. He was taken up and conveyed to the Public Hospital, where he received unremitting attention, but it was afterwards found necessary to amputate one of his legs which was done. He is still at the Hospital.
'For 35 years one of the most eminent Dentists, Senor Pompey, lived in [t]his town and practised'
The only later reference to Pedro Pompey I have so far identified is in this report of a debate in the Legislative Council on a new law regulating dental practitioners. The state of dental services in the island is fairly clearly set out.
Daily Gleaner, March 9, 1897
DENTAL PRACTITIONERS LAW. MR. STERN moved that the bill entitled An Act relating to Dental Practitioners in the Island of Jamaica be read a second time. He said that good wine needed no bush so a wholesome and sanitary Law like that needed but few words to commend it to tho Council. He did not think the labours of the Dentists were sufficiently appreciated. The days when Dentistry and Surgery were practised by the "Barber chirurgions" had long since gone by and Dentistry was now recognised as a very important branch of, should he call it, Surgical Science. That proper attention now-a-days to the necessity of looking after the teeth scientifically was he believed becoming more and more apparent and it was high time that the people who entrusted their mouths to the tender mercies of the Dentist should have some guarantee that instead of destroying their teeth that that person was qualified and able to save thorn. That the general physical health depended a great deal upon the condition of the teeth was beginning to be more realised now-a-days and the necessity for dentists also to be well educated and well instructed was becoming manifest. He did not think he had any fear of any opposition to the Bill which had been before the house for some ten days. He therefore moved the second reading. DR MOSSE said he did not rise to oppose the second reading of the Bill. He sympathised with the principle of it because he thought that those vagrant gentlemen who under the guise of medicine-sellers and such like imposed upon the public, ought to be restricted in some way. He thought the principle a very good one but there were some features in the Bill with which he did not concur. He referred specially to Section 5, which he thought should follow the lines of the Medical Act. He would first refer to what appeared to him to be rather superfluous, Sub section 1, Section 3. He said that as the Hon. Member who had moved the second reading, did not usually indulge in much superfluous talk, he was surprised he should have so many superfluous words in this bill. Perhaps the hon. member for Kingston could explain it. Sub-Section 1 Section 3 read; (1) He shall not be guilty of an offence under the Act if he showed that he has been registered and continued to be entitled to be registered under this Act, but that his name has been erased on the grounds that he has ceased to practice. He did not see why his name should be erased if he ceased to practice for he might wish to practice again. He thought that was superfluous and therefore drew attention to it. Clause 5, Sub-Subsection A, very properly stated "Is duly registered in the United Kingdom as a qualified Dental Practitioner under the provisions of the Act of the United Kingdom. 41 and 42 Vic. cap. XXXIII (the short title of which is " The Dentists Act 1878) or any Act of the United Kingdom that may hereafter be passed conferring the right to be registered in the United Kingdom, shall be entitled upon producing to the registrar in proof of his title thereto, the diploma, license or certificate in virtue whereof he represents himself to have already been registered in the United Kingdom, together with a declaration according to Form A in the Schedule of this Law annexed, made by him before any Justice of the Peace and impressed with a stamp for duty by way of registration fee, to the amount of twenty shillings, setting forth that he is the person named in such diploma, license or certificate." Then they came to Sub-Section B of the same clause which was a very lengthy one. It referred to certain Colleges in the United States. Two of those Colleges were formerly registerable in Great Britain, but since the Medical Council had found that the curriculum was insufficient they were no longer registerable, as a 3 years curriculum was necessary and those colleges granted certificates or diplomas or whatever title they gave their paper after a course of 13 months. Section B, clause 5 he suggested should read "Is a duty qualified practitioner possessing a Diploma, License or Certificate registerable in Great Britain under the Act 41-42 Vict Cap. xxxiii entitled "The Dental Act 1878" and it would then follow the lines of the Medical Law. The remainder of the Section he proposed should be deleted. In connection with that Bill he thought that injury would be inflicted upon the humbler classes, for if a man who was capable of extracting a tooth and yet had no Diploma, License or Certificate he might be brought under the pains and penalties of this Law. If an unfortunate man at Green Island was suffering from the tortures and agony of toothache, with which most of them were no doubt familiar, there might not be a Licensed practitioner at hand, but there might be a Licensed Dispenser perfectly qualified to extract teeth but who could not set a license under this law. There were dispensers under the various D. M. O's who were perfectly competent to extract teeth with[out] bringing themselves under the pains and penalties of this law. He could not say whether the term "Dental Practitioner" would be held to exclude a man from extracting teeth but he thought it would be a very great hardship for a person suffering from toothache to have to go to Kingston, Falmouth, or Montego Bay to have their teeth extracted. If the hon. member could make such alterations as could cover that and make it on the same lines as the Medical Practitioners Bill he would not oppose the Bill.
MR. GIDEON said he would be rather inclined to oppose the Bill unless the Hon member would give effect to the suggestion of the hon the Superintending Medical Officer. In Kingston it would work well but hardships would fall on the people in the country where they had not one Dentist available. It would work hardship not alone to the dispensers who were perfectly competent to do the work but to the unfortunate sufferers and he thought something should be done to protect both the competent Dispensers and persons who were likely to require his services and for that reason he would like to go against the Bill unless he had the assurance of the hon member for Kingston that he would alter the Bill to protect the class he had referred to.
DR JOHNSTON said there could be no question as to the necessity for a Bill of this kind. There were in Kingston competent men but every now and then they saw through the country someone driving a buggy with a placard at its back announcing the arrival of the latest practical Dentist in town. He was not speaking of one who was popular on the Race Course in Kingston. They went through the country and professed to supply sets of "porcelaine" to the poorer classes at very limited prices with the result that they were people who had had all their teeth extracted and nothing put in their place because they fitted so badly that they were unable to wear them. He thoroughly endorsed what the Honourable the Superintending Medical Officer had said in regard to the probability of handicapping Dispensers. They, as Medical Practitioners in the country were very glad to have men competent to do work of this class. In one or two cases he had heard of injury resulting but very rarely. In bringing in the names of American Colleges he did not see why five or six should be specially named, as being the Colleges or Universities from which a man should be graduated and registered. It was purely and simply a question of qualification and not of College. The period of the curriculum they had passed through and their status when making application for registration should be considered. Whether they graduated in Canada or the United States the same should be required of them as was required of Medical Practitioners desirous of practising in Great Britain. MR. STERN thought the remarks were a little premature. The principle of the bill was accepted, he understood, but that there were modifications to be made in committee he could well understand and all that had been said about the bill ought properly to have been said in committee. For his part he might say at once that any amendment such as that suggested by the hon. Superintending Medical Officer would meet with his cordial approval. The house divided on the bill as follows: Ayes: - Dr. Johnson, Messrs. Heaven, Berry, Stern, Clarke, Braham, Leyden, Gideon, Palache, Fawcett, Cork, Col. Ward, Drs. Pringle, Mosse, Mr. Capper, Collector General, Director of Public Works, Attorney General, Colonial Secretary (19). Noes: - Messrs. Corinaldi, Burke, Whiting; (3) It passed in the affirmative. The house went into Committee on the bill. Section 1 passed. On Section 2, MR. BERRY proposed that the fine for any person using the title of dentist or dental practitioner or words to that effect should be £6 instead of £20 as proposed. The motion was lost and the original proposal of £20 adopted. On the proviso of this Section "Provided that nothing in this section shall apply to legally qualified medical practitioners''. MR. BURKE called attention to the restrictions which would be placed on licensed dispensers, and if a dentist did not register he would be prevented from practising. That was not fair nor right. The rights of the persons now practising should be observed. DR MOSSE proposed that in the case of dental practitioners who had been here before the passing of this law that any person who could produce a dental certificate showing that he was entitled should be registered without any fee. MR. BURKE remarked that there were practitioners who are not in a position to produce certificates and therefore they would ruin those men by this law. THE ATTORNEY GENERAL said that if the section were amended in the way suggested by the hon member for St Thomas a man practising for even a week would be entitled to be registered free. MR. STERN said he had an amendment which would meet the case. It was "provided that any person entitled to be registered under this law who had been practising dentistry for a period of six months shall not be required to pay any fees of registration." DR. PRINGLE said this bill required more consideration than it seemed at first sight. The difficulty in this bill was that they had to provide for two classes of practitioners the dental practitioner who was duly qualified and another kind of practitioner who was allowed to extract teeth. In the outlying parts of the country they had really very few qualified dentists; in some places none at all. In this law there ought to be sections regulating and qualifying dental surgery and a special section regulating and limiting the powers that would be given to the classes of dental Surgeon. If they were to exclude some who were not even qualified as dispensers those who were qualified might on the ground of the scarcity of persons charge a very high fee. MR. BERRY said there are many parts of the country where the people were miles away from any qualified dispensers and it was only on the understanding that a Clause would be inserted continuing the rights of those qualified dispensers who extracted teeth that he had given his vote in favour of the second reading of the bill. They might go right away into St. Mary, 30 miles or more before they found a dentist. Each qualified dispenser was in the habit of extracting teeth for the nominal charge of 6d; many ministers did it too sometimes. They extracted teeth sometimes for 6d, sometimes for 3d. and sometimes for nothing. He questioned whether it would not be better to resume that the bill might be better considered. THE PRESIDENT agreed entirely with the hon. member for St. Andrew. There was something of the cactus in this bill, it was full of points. He thought the Council should resume and the bill be remitted to a Select Committee of the three medical gentlemen in the Council who could go through it. He would suggest that to the hon. member as it would save a great deal of time. MR. STERN said any difficulty that his hon. friend suggested would be met in the bill. He didn't think there was any great objection to proceeding with the bill. He had always found that when a bill was remitted to a Select Committee it was like charity; it began at home and ended there. MR. CORINALDI objected entirely to the bill. It would have been rendered somewhat better by what the hon. member for St. Thomas had proposed. He knew two or three of the most eminent dentists who did not have certificates. For 35 years one of the most eminent Dentists Senor Pompey lived in [t]his town and practised and he had no certificate.
MR. PALACHE considered the proposal to send the bill to a Select Committee as a very proper one. A number of dentists here were taking apprentices and these must in time become capable of passing an examination and be admitted as dentists. He wanted to have a provision for a board of examiners who could examine the native dentists who unfortunately were not rich enough to go away from this country and get those qualifications which were necessary under this Bill. There must be a Board of Examiners.
MR. GIDEON said the hon. member for Manchester had just said what he was about to remark. If there was to be a scale of fees under this law at all which must guide dental practitioners he thought it should be for the dispensers as well. They were a very deserving class of men, and as it was the Medical Bill had caused them to lose a considerable amount, and he did not think they should do anything of this sort. If there was to be a scale at all it should be for each and every class and not for dispensers only. MR, STERN said it was not his intention to object to legitimate extensions of the original idea inclvded in the second reading of the bill. With respect to the Board of Examiners that was a question which required consideration. He thought it would be a saving of time if they considered the bill now instead of sending it to the Select Committee: however he would abide by the will of the Council. The Council then resumed. MR. STERN moved that the Hon. Superintending Medical Officer, the Hon. Dr. Pringle and the hon. members for St. Ann, Manchester, Portland and Kingston be a Select Committee to consider the bill. The motion passed. |
Next day Corinaldi's comment is slightly modified, though still noting the career of Pedro Pompey:
Daily Gleaner, March 10, 1897
Mr. Corinaldi on the discussion on the Dentist Law said he knew two or three of the most eminent dentists who did not have certificates and who had practiced for 35 years. One of the most eminent dentists, having been apprenticed of Senor Pompey lived in this town and practised and had no certificate.
Daily Gleaner, March 10, 1897
Mr. Corinaldi on the discussion on the Dentist Law said he knew two or three of the most eminent dentists who did not have certificates and who had practiced for 35 years. One of the most eminent dentists, having been apprenticed of Senor Pompey lived in this town and practised and had no certificate.