Theodore Picnot

Geslacht:	Man
Vader:
Moeder:
Geboren:	1820	St. Martins in the Fields, Middlesex, Engeland
Overleden:	1910	Brussel
Beroep:		tandmeester
Aantekeningen:	Theodore Picnot (1820-1910), an English dentist in the Netherlands Professor D.M.E. Vermeulen-Cranch (Amsterdam) Theodare Picnot's origins This was the situation when THeodore Picnot (1820-1910) began to influence practice in the Nether1ands. In the baptismal registers of the parish of St Martin's in the Fields, Middlesex, Theodore Picnot's name can be found on September l0th, 1826, being the son of Andre Marie and Maria, then living a t 4 Buckingham Street. Under 'Quality Trade or Profession of Father', Watchmaker is written. The same register reveals that Theodore had an older brother Andre, baptised in 1824 when the family lived at 3 Duke Street. Old maps reveal that Duke Street was what is now Adam Street. He also had a younger brother, Charles, baptised in 1828 from 15 Suffolk Street. We may assume that the Picnot's were originally Huguenots who settled in London. Dental practice in Yorkshire Theorlore became a dentist in 1845. In 1847 he was listed in the Leeds Directory as a surgeon dentist, in partnership with Ruth Dixon at 13 Wellington Street. In 1849 and 1851 he is similarly listed. The census of 1851 shows that Picnot had married Ann, daughter of his partner, Dixon, a not uncomnon occurrence: 'Theodore Picnot, Head, married, 25. Surg.dentist. Born London, Middlesex. Ann Picnot, Wife, married, 28. Born Leeds. Anari Picnot, Son, 1. Born Leeds.' A kitchen maid and a servant girl are also registered as is: 'James Ponchen, Visitor Traveller Born France.' In 1853, Theodore is listed in the directory at the same address, but practising alone. In 1854 he was listed on the Burgess Roll of prominent Leeds citizens. Ann and Theodore had 3 sons and 5 daughters between l850 and 1867. The first 4 were born in Leeds. There are no further listings of the family in Leeds in either directories or voters' lists. Then, in 1868 on 12th January, his name appears on the msrriage certificate of his brother Charles, when he signed it as a witness. The ceremony took place a t St Mrtin's in the Fields when Charles, now a chemist, living in Craven Street, married Jane Dunham of Strood in Kent. Practice on the continent Theodore may have travelled from the Hague to attend the wedding, hecause in 1857 the Hague City Register gives Theodore's address as Zeestraat 55. However, he also had an address in Ixelles, near Brussels and it is believed that he moved there from Leeds in 1857. It was there that his last 4 children were born. He practised dentistry at both addresses, travelling between the two - quite an achievement. The addresses remained the same until 1886. From 1886-1896 the address changed to Laan Copes van Cattenburg 36, The Hague. It is thought that after the birth of the last child in 1867, Picnot and his family came to reside in the Hague. He is also registered in the first British dental register of 1879 as having been known to be a practising dental surgeon before July 1878. His address was then given as Zeestraat 55, the Hague, and it remined so each year until 1886, when it became Laan Copes van Cattenburg, the Hague. Then from the Dentists' Register of 1897 his address changes to Rue Crespel 4, Brussels. Theodore remained on the British Register until 1910. He died in that year aged 90, in Brussels. Interestingly, his brother Charles can also be found in the Dentists' Register from 1879 until 1908, practising in Rochester, Kent. Published views on dental training Theodore Picnot never published in the British journals, but in 1875 he wrote a small book in French: 'L'Art Dentaire', in which he explains that he came to the Netherlands at the invitation of certain distinguished persons who wished to avail themselves of his professional services. It was the understanding which he encountered and the recognition of his personal professional standards which prompted and encouraged him t o write his treatise concerning his views on dentistry. He describes how strongly he disagreed with the law of 1865, which allowed only doctors to train in dentistry. He considered the situation to be critical because the remaining 60 dentists were doomed to extinction. In the l a s t 10 years only 4 medical students had followed the additional training in Utrecht for dentistry. Two of them were sons of dentists who had gained their experience from their fathers. Furthermore, the teaching given in Utrecht was minimal, was not given by dentists and was outdated. Picnot advocated an official training for dentists, as was taking place in America (1839) and in Britain (1855), where newer ways of teaching dentistry were taking place. He did not consider that a complete medical training was necessary. It would be difficult, he wrote, to arouse sufficient interest in dentistry after the long medical training. Also, by that time, the students would have already lost the necessary finger and hand agility required to becorne a skilled dentist. He did advocate teaching physiology and anatomy and anomalies of the head and neck. It was imperative, he believed, that the dental school should be adjacent to the medical schools, to allow interchange and interdependence between dental and medical teachers. Anaesthesia Picnot did not believe that dentists should give general anaesthetics themselves, and felt that a doctor should be called in. He was, in contrast to many of his colleagues, in favour of pain control using nitrous oxide. His eminent patients prohably agreed with him, especially as at this time local anaesthesia was still unknown. He advised against dentists using muth washes and powders, etc. made up by travelling salesmen, and said that such materials should be obtained from the apothecary. Picnot's fees included: extraction of a tooth or root - 5 Florins; extraction of a tooth or root under the influence of nitrous oxide, including the attendance of a doctor - 15 Florins. Who the medical doctor was, presurmably one trained in the administration of nitrous oxide, is not known. Could Picnot perhaps have instructed him? Picnot and the law Because Picnot had no dental diploma from either England or the Netherlands, he was fined large sums of money on several occasions for practising dentistry illegally. Both he and his friend, meodore Dentz, known later as the father of Dutch dentistry, and who was a medically qualified dentist, but who had been trained in dentistry by his dentist father, protested strongly against the disastrous restrictions of the law of 1865. It was hinted by some doctors who did not want the law to be changed, that the intention was only to enable the foreigner practising dentistry in the Hague illegally to practice legally. Picnot certainly had friends and patients in high places, who gave him 'protection'. It is known that the Regent Queen Emma and her daughter, who later became Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, were among his patients. In 1876 the law was changed out of necessity, because of the shortage of dentists. However, by this law, dental practice was limited to the local treatment of teeth, sockets and gum, orthodontics and the fitting of artificial teeth. Prescribing or administering any drugs which could produce a generalised effect was forbidden. It was this facet which clarifies the fact that dentists in the Netherlands were unable to use any effective form of analgesia, including general anaesthesia. Dentists would now be able to obtain a theoretical and practical training with the medical students who were learning dentistry. They would be required to pass a state examination giving a non-academic qualification. No preliminary basic standard of education was required before entering dental training. Theodore Dentz had, however, always selected his non-medical students wishing t o train in dentistry, choosing those with a good general education, even though dentistry was considered by most people to require mainly manual dexterity, little theoretical knowledge and no provision for pain control. It was 1892 before the law required dental students t o have successfully concluded a 5-year period of secondary education before commencing their specialist training. Dental anaesthesia at the end of the 19th century A t the opening of the new dental clinic in Utrecht in 1895, Theodore Dentz, who had been appointed as the Lecturer, described the prevailing situation with regard to pain control as follows: 'Dentists may not use nitrous oxide, but the doctors who may use it, do not know how to use it, and are not even interested to do so'. It should be remembered that for extractions or painful dental procedures in the Netherlands, there were really no effective means of obtaining analgesia. The use of morphine or Richardson's local ether spray or local ethyl chloride or local chloroform which produced cold analgesia was limited to the few doctors who trained as dentists. This remained so until Novocaine came into clinical practice after 1905 when its use by dentists was tolerated. It was 1947 before dentistry becarne an academic subject in the Netherlands and the law of 1876 was repealed. Dentists were then allowed to practise dentistry to the full extent which implied that they could administer a general anaesthetic. However, they were never taught to do so. With the introduction of lignocaine into dentistry in 1950, the advantages were so great that very few dentists wished for anything better to produce analgesia. Furthemore, at that time, general anaesthesia usually meant a nurse giving open drop ether under the supervision of a surgeon and was therefore out of reach for dentists, and also was a technique quite unsuitable for dentistry. The first school for anaesthesia for qualified dcctors was started in Amsterdam in January 1947. The specialty of Anaesthesia was first recognised in 1948. Little wonder that there were no professional connections between dentists and anaesthesiologists. It is only now that anaesthesiologists and dentists are beginning t o realise the advantages of general anaesthesia and sedation when treating the handicapped and extremely anxious patients. Picnot is also remembered because in 1881 he was, as was Theodore Dentz, a founder member and later on honorary member, of the first and most highly esteemed dental scientific society in the Netherlands - The Tandheelkundig Genootschap. Medical dentists and dentists of good repute were invited to join the Society. The intention was to improve knowledge and the social standing of dentists. Picnot i s also known for his dentist's cabinet, built especially to his instructions by the famous furniture makers, Horrix of the Hague, in 1890 and for which he is said to have paid 2,200 Florins. It is functional and beautiful. It is carved with the letters T.P. in gold leaf. Queen Emma and Wilhelmina were given dental treatment in front of it. It can be seen on display in the reproduction of the Picnot dental surgery in the University Museum at Utrecht. He remained in practice a t his Dutch address in the Hague. It is recorded in the Dutch Dental Journal of 1895 that, on November 1st 1895, Picnot celebrated the 50th anniversary of his becoming a dentist in 1845 (he did also obtain his Dutch qualification by examination in 1877). He was visited by many friends, colleagues and patients. Beautiful floral tributes were presented t o him. However, the celebrations were postponed temporarily, according to the report, while Picnot, then 75 years old, first finished his surgery. Later life In l896 Picnot left the Hague and went to live at Rue Crespel 4, Brussels , with his wife. From letters which he wrote to Dr Pinkhof living in the Hague, he was in poor health in 1900, yet recovered sufficiently by 1903 to treat some patients . In the l905 Dentists' Register, a t the British Dental Association's library, his address changed to Rue de Joncker 54, Brussels. By 1909, his health did not allow him to treat patients any more. His children remained well, but his wife was troubled with arthritis and had ear trouble, so that they were confined to the house. He writes that he was still in possession of his dental chair, other furniture appertaining to the practice and also his dental instruments. An appreciation of Theodore Picnot, when he died in 1910, was given by the chairman of the Tandheelkundig Genootschap. He said: 'I have never heard patients speak with more respect and apreciation about their dentists than those of Picnot. All the rnembers of the Genootschap who knew our honorary member will remember him with great admiration, and those who did not know him with rmuch appreciation. The secret lay in his character ard behaviour - he was always correct in his operating technique, in his association with patients and colleagues, in his appearance and in every other way. Although he was a modest, unassuming man, never seeking the limelight in his public dental professional life he, through his character, personality and his work, has contributed greatly to raising the status of dentists and dentistry in this country. He will always remain in our thankful rememhrances.' Bibliography van Wiggen, GJ. In meer eerbare banen. Amsterdam Rodopi 1986, Academic thesis. de Maar, FER. Theodore Picnot en zijn kast. Tandheelkundige Studenten Almanak 1976; 310-314. van Wiggen, GJ.. Net Nederlandisch Tandheelkundig Genootschap. Ned.Tijdschr.Tankheelkd. 1991; 98: 287-293. Vemuelen-Cranch, DME. De geschiedenis van de pijn bestrijding in de Tandheelkunde in Nederland. Ned.Tijdschr.Tandheelkd. 1991; 98: 278-282. http://www.histansoc.org.uk/uploads/9/5/5/2/9552670/volume_9a.pdf

Gezin 1

Huwelijkspartner:	Ann Dixon	geb. 1823
Kinderen:
	André Picnot	geb. 1850
	Anne Maria Picnot	geb. 1852