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black and a mere shell. She told me, that when the tooth
was plugged it was but little decayed. Cases of this kind
are seen every day, and yet some dentists have the hardihood
to assert, that tin and lead are as proper for plugging the
teeth as gold, although be it said, to the credit of the profes-
sion, that very few respectable dentists are guilty of this
abominable ignorance or dishonesty. Lead may be applied,
as we have before mentioned, to cover the nerve of the tooth,
and the filling completed with gold. Tin foil, if pure, may
be used, in some cases, for plugging the grinding-teeth, if the
patients are not able to pay for gold, or if the gold cannot be
obtained. But gold in purity is the substance which wc
ought to use. Gold, without alloy, is a substance which may
be retained a century in the mouth without oxidating.* It
reposes upon the living substance of a tooth, and excludes
all foreign natures ,of every kind ; the saliva, the food, de-
cayed portions of other teeth, cold air, &c. &c. and at the
same time gives firmness and strength to the tooth, whilst
itself remains unchanged. When pure, and beaten into thin
and suitable leaves, it is extremely malleable, and it is adapted
to the cavity of the tooth to be filled, with the utmost facili-
ty, and may be pressed into the tooth until it is perfectly
compact, like a solid piece of the metal. The expense of
the gold should never deter the dentist from its use. I re-
marked that tin might be used in plugging the molar teeth,
if we could not consistently use the gold. But the incisores
and canine teeth I never plug with any metal but gold. I
always rather divide the expense with my patients, if neces-
sary, than to use tin, lead, or silver in plugging these teeth,
as their loss is deplorable to the patient ; and if the caries is
arrested, by a plugging of these metals, still in many instan-

* See Koecker.