Page 407 - My FlipBook

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and prevent farther decay. There are two ways of doing
this. The first is, by covering the exposed nerve with a thin
piece of leaf lead, and completing the operation by the in-
troduction of gold leaf, so as to fill the cavity entirely, and
in the most perfect manner. This mode of treating the ex-
posed nerve is recommended by Mr. Koecker* with consid-
erable earnestness. The reason why he applies lead to the
nerve is, because this metal has the least irritating effect up-
on the nerve or living parts of the system of any metallic
substance with which we are acquainted. I have adopted
this practice, in some cases, with the most perfect success,
and in others it has entirely failed.
The second mode of treating the nerve in order to pre-
serve its vitality is, to apply some powerful astringent sub-
stance to the exposed nerve, and confine it there by first
placing a piece of the astringent in the bottom of the cavity
upon the nerve, and complete the filling of the cavity with
wax, or some other substance of the kind, so as to retain the
astringent upon the nerve for some time ; and the astringent
may be changed occasionally for fresh material, and worn in
this manner for some months, if necessary. The effect of
this is to gradually reduce the sensibility of the nerve, until
it will, without irritation, admit the presence and pressure of
a plug." This is the practice which I think will be found to
succeed better than any other ; indeed I do not think it will
ever fail, or, at least, very rarely, if proper substances are
used, and persevered in. In the chapter upon the extraction
of the adult teeth, I mentioned the case of Mrs. W , who
called upon me with several of her teeth having their nerves
exposed, and in an inflamed state ; her teeth I treated as I
shall now mention. There are several different astringent

* Koecker, page 437.