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substances which may be used to apply to the nerve ; among
which, I will mention alum, borax, &c. &c, or the soft pur!
of the gall. This last is what I use, and prefer to any thing
I have tried. We should select, for this purpose, the best
fresh Alleppo galls, break the nut, and with the point of a
knife, take out some of the soft part, put a small piece of
this in the cavity of the tooth, having the nerve exposed, then
fill the cavity with bees-wax, so as to retain the gall, and ex-
clude the air. If this is not displaced of itself as often as
we wish, it may be taken out and the gall renewed once in
ten or fifteen days, and replaced with fresh gall, as before.
In this way, with almost a certainty of success, and with lit-
tle pain or inconvenience to the patient, the sensibility of the
nerve and lining membrane may be so much reduced as to
allow, after a few weeks or months, the safe introduction of a
plug, so as to complete the cure of the tooth. Either of these
three modes of treating the exposed nerves of carious teeth
may be adopted by the dentist. The first is, on most ac-
counts, very objectionable, as it should be an object of the
utmost solicitude to preserve the vitality of the teeth we suf-
fer to remain in the mouth. Either of the two last methods
may be used, and I think the best practice will be, and is, to
unite both, as I am in the habit of doing, which is to use the
astringent for some time, and then to cover the nerve with
a leaf of lead, and complete the filling of the cavity with gold.
I could mention numerous cases of the complete success
of this practice, but do not wish to tire my reader with cases,
sensible that if he adopts the practice he will very seldom
fail of complete success in his operations. The last mode of
treating exposed nerves which I have mentioned, I believe
was originally introduced by Mr. Harrington, a highly res-
pectable dentist of this city. Mr. Murphy mentions that the
nut-gall has cured tooth-ache, but I am not aware that it was