Dental show eccentric Dr. Parker (9 photos)

Understanding that from a young age it is necessary to protect not only honor, but also teeth, comes somewhere after 30. When not too lucky citizens begin to share a solid part of the savings and earned with different degree of honesty means with dentists.





This character was initially not too lucky. But he was able to turn bad luck into good luck.



Edgar Randolph Parker

Edgar Randolph Parker was born in 1872 in Tynemouth Creek (New Brunswick). From a young age, the boy showed business acumen and enterprise and developed bold plans for business building. So, at the age of 9, Edgar almost became a poultry farmer, changing his neighbor's chicken and cage for a knick-knack and planning to cash in on the chickens a solid amount. It didn’t grow together with poultry farming, but a grown-up guy I decided to start with traveling trade in various knick-knacks. Father not liked this idea, and he sold Edgar's wagon. The son was offended that his projects were not appreciated, and went to the sailors (his uncle owned several ships).

At sea, the young man was injured. And while undergoing treatment hospital in Buenos Aires, imbued with the noble work of doctors. And decided try yourself as a dentist. 'Cause it's so great - save people from pain and get a decent reward for it.

At the age of 17, the guy entered the dental college New York. Since Parker was self-supporting, he did not come up with Nothing is better than opening a practice right after admission. It was direct violation of the law.

And the student was expelled. However, he still received a diploma, already in Philadelphia. Although he studied badly and literally begged tear-stained document.

Having become a certified doctor, the man went to Canada in hope for a quick release. But hopes were not justified: customers did not rushed to his office. And a month and a half later, the newly minted the dentist gave a damn about professional ethics and started advertising campaign.

Treatment without pain



The first tool in it was an advertising poster, which the dentist traded with a neighbor for a set of prostheses. And promised to everyone who will come for removal, the complete absence of pain. And refund in case painful sensations.



And it really was not, because each patient the dentist gave a remedy of his own invention - hydrocaine, which consisted from water and cocaine. And, deciding not to sit still, Parker began an itinerant dentist - traveled around the country and pulled out teeth without pain.

tooth show



A few years later, he and his family moved to New York, where he met William Beebe. The man used to work in circus and invited Parker to combine business with pleasure - to organize theatrical medical show.



The performance began with a short introductory lecture on the importance of oral hygiene. Then he climbed onto the wagon-stage a volunteer (dummy) from the crowd, to whom the doctor painlessly "pulled out" a molar, previously hidden in the sleeve. The patient is pretty smiled. And when a real patient climbed onto the platform, he entered orchestra. The music drowned out the moans. In general, everyone was satisfied.

From Edgar to Painless



The dentist called himself Painless Parker, emphasizing main competitive advantage. As a result, the State Dental Board forbade the man this combination in advertising as inappropriate reality.

Ah well? Don't wait! And the dentist officially changed his name, becoming according to Painless Parker's papers. Colleagues quietly hated him. Lawsuits fell like leaves in autumn: the inconsistency of promises reality, non-compliance with ethics.



The same necklace

But Parker thrived, as did his show. He hired assistants and has already opened a whole network of offices, reaching an incredible for those times income level: three million dollars annually.

In addition to medical services, Parker's clinics sold and care products: pastes, rinses, powders. A Painless just laughed athell chugging less fortunate colleagues and flaunting a terrible necklace of teeth, shocking the audience.



Bucket with teeth in the museum

And although Parker was more of a showman than a physician, and did bet on the show, he did a lot of good things: held free preliminary examinations, introduced installments for services, organized lectures, dedicated to the care of teeth and gums.

In memory of the doctor-showman at Temple University there is a whole exposition, the highlights of which were that very terrible necklace and a bucket of teeth that Parker pulled out throughout his career.