Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

DENTAL SPUTUM; CHAIRSIDE UNIT

Date Range From

1960

Date Range To

1970

Materials

STEEL, MILK GLASS

No. Pieces

2

Height

103.0

Length

52.0

Diameter

27.5 (BOWL)

Description

CREAM PAINTED STEEL FRAME HAS A WHITE GLASS BOWL MOUNTED NEAR TOP. TOP OF UNIT IS STAINLESS STEEL WITH A RECESSED AREA WITH A SMALL DRAIN. THERE IS A SWITCH ON EXTREME TOP OF UNIT. UNDER DRAIN ARE THREE CHROME TAP KNOBS. BELOW KNOBS IS A METAL LABEL WITH WHITE AND BLACK ENAMEL. READS "WEBE" IN A BANNER, OVER A CREST CONSISTING OF A SHIELD SURROUNDED BY VINES OF LEAVES AND SURMOUNTED BY A KNIGHT'S HELMET. ON ONE SIDE OF UNIT IS A HOLDER (FOR A TOOL OR HOSE?). OPPOSITE SIDE HAS A WHITE GLASS BOWL THAT HAS A HOLE (DRAIN) IN THE BOTTOM. THERE IS A NOZZLE (TAP?) THAT RUNS DIRECTLY INTO BOWL WITH A METAL CYLINDRICAL PIECE OVER IT (FILTER?). BOWL SWIVELS TO 1 SIDE. SIDE OF UNIT OPPOSITE TO SMALL DRAIN HAS VARIOUS ATTACHMENTS AND KNOBS. UNIT HAS 1 LARGE GREY HOSE AND VARIOUS SMALLER HOSES AND CORDS ATTACHED.

Subjects

MEDICAL & DENTAL T&E

Historical Association

HEALTH SERVICES

History

PURCHASED FROM ASH TEMPLE LTD. IN CALGARY IN THE 1960S AND WAS USED BY VAN CHRISTOU UNTIL 1987. DR. VAN CHRISTOU WAS BORN AND RAISED IN LETHBRIDGE. HE ATTENDED BOWMAN SCHOOL AND THE LETHBRIDGE COLLEGIATE INSTITUTE. IN 1943 HE BEGAN STUDYING AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA, AND IN 1948 RECEIVED THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF DENTAL SURGERY. AS A WINNER OF THE PRESTIGIOUS EASTMAN FELLOWSHIP HE COMPLETED 2 YEARS OF GRADUATE STUDY IN NEW YORK IN ORTHODONTICS AND PEDODONTICS. IN 1950 HE RETURNED TO LETHBRIDGE TO PRACTICE WITH DR. J.S. STEWART - ONE OF LETHBRIDGE'S FIRST DENTISTS - WHO BECAME HIS MENTOR. THEIR PRACTICE WAS LOCATED IN THE ORIGINAL BIGELOW FOWLER CLINIC BUILDING ON 7TH STREET SOUTH, WHICH WOULD LATER BE PURCHASED BY CHRISTOU AND MAYOR ANDY ANDERSON AND NAMED THE A-C BUILDING - PRESENTLY IT IS THE GLYN STREET PROFESSIONAL BUILDING. WHEN STEWART RETIRED IN 1951, CHRISTOU BOUGHT HIS EQUIPMENT AND "GOOD WILL" FOR $9,000. CHRISTOU USED STEWART'S EQUIPMENT HIS ENTIRE CAREER. DR. CHRISTOU WAS THE ONLY ORTHODONTIST IN LETHBRIDGE FOR 25 OF HIS 37 YEARS OF PRACTICE. PATIENTS CAME TO HIM FROM SOUTHEAST BRITISH COLUMBIA, SASKATCHEWAN AND NORTHERN MONTANA. HE WAS BOOKED AT LEAST A YEAR AND A HALF AHEAD AT ALL TIMES. DR. CHRISTOU'S PHILOSOPHY WAS TO KEEP THINGS SIMPLE. HE DIDN'T BELIEVE IN HIGH OFFICE OVERHEAD, BOTH IN TERMS OF EQUIPMENT AND STAFFING. HE HAD A RECEPTIONIST AND A DENTAL NURSE, WHO HE TRAINED HIMSELF. HE PRIDED HIMSELF ON PERSONALIZED TREATMENT AND HIS EXCELLENT TRAINING HAD EXPOSED HIM TO STATE-OF-THE-ART DENTAL EQUIPMENT AND TECHNIQUES. EARLY ON, HE PURCHASED A CUTTING-EDGE CEPHALOMETER X-RAY MACHINE, THE ONLY ONE OF ITS KIND IN WESTERN CANADA FOR MANY YEARS. DR. CHRISTOU ALSO CUSTOM MADE EQUIPMENT THAT WAS NOT ON THE MARKET, SUCH AS A MOTOR-DRIVEN WATER SUPPLY AND SUCTION UNIT, SUPERIOR TO THOSE DRIVEN BY THE VENTURI-EFFECT. CHRISTOU WAS ALSO AN ACCOMPLISHED ARTIST AND PHOTOGRAPHER, AND THROUGHOUT HIS CAREER ATTEMPTED TO CREATE LINKS BETWEEN ART AND DENTISTRY. FOR EXAMPLE, HE CREATED A STAINED GLASS U OF L CREST (WHICH HE DONATED TO THE UNIVERSITY) WHICH UTILIZED ORTHODONTIC WIRE. ALONG WITH JIM COUSINS HE DESIGNED THE U OF L CREST AND MOTTO "FIAT LUX". HE SERVED ON THE FIRST BOARD OF GOVERNORS AT THE U OF L AND LATER AS CHANCELLOR (1975), AND RECEIVED AN HONORARY DOCTOR OF LAWS DEGREE FROM THE UNIVERSITY. HIS MANY CONTRIBUTIONS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS ALSO INCLUDE: CHAIRMAN OF THE 1958 YMCA MEMBERSHIP DRIVE; PRESIDENT OF THE LETHBRIDGE & DISTRICT DENTAL SOCIETY FOR 1952-53; PRESIDENT OF THE ST. JOHN'S AMBULANCE ASSOCIATION; PRESIDENT OF THE ALLIED ARTS COUNCIL OF LETHBRIDGE; CHAIRMAN OF THE CULTURAL AFFAIRS AND EDUCATION COMMITTEES OF THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE; CHAIRMAN OF THE LETHBRIDGE JUNIOR COLLEGE LIBRARY FUND; AND CANDIDATE FOR CITY COUNCIL IN 1983. SEE HARD COPY FILE FOR ADDITIONAL HISTORY.

Catalogue Number

P20010080003

Acquisition Date

2004-04

Collection

Museum

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