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518

The strong acids have been used to destroy the nerves of
the teeth ; but as they are apt to injure the sound teeth, their
ose is almost entirely abandoned.
Acids are occasionally prescribed for medical purposes ; in
which case they ought to be passed through the mouth by
means of a tube, as a quill, &c. ; by which precaution they
will be prevented from injuring the teeth.
Persons who erect the acid contents of their stomachs
into their mouths, ought to rinse their teeth very frequently
with some alkaline fluid ; as, if they do not, their teeth are
often injured by the acid of the stomach.
I will in this place, introduce the observations of Mr.
Pepys, in his communication to Mr. Fox, containing the
analysis of the human teeth, and the effects of some of the
acids upon them, and close with the remarks of Dr. Blake
and Mr. Wooffendale, upon the weaker acids, cream of tartar,
and the acetic acid, from which may be inferred the inju-
rious consequences of all.
* Bone, it has been observed, when exposed to the action
of acid menstrua, becomes dissolved ; that is to say, the
solid or constituent substance of it is abstracted, and a
gelatinous matter is left of the form of the original bone.
Nitric, muriatic, and acetic acids are capable of pro-
ducing this change, which is accompanied with a liberation
of an aeriform fluid, that precipitates lime in lime water,
changes vegetable blues red, and, by its gravity, is known to
be carbonate acid gas. These acid solutions yield a copious
precipitate with pure ammonia, which is again soluble in
either of the acids. After the precipitation by pure ammo-
nia, the solution of the carbonate of ammonia, will still pro-
duce a new precipitate.

* Fox, Natural History ot the Teeth, page 93