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THE ROMJNS Id.-)

nia\' be derived against otloiitalgia bv niasticating the wild mint, or the
root of the p\rethriiiii, or b\' covering the diseased tooth with a phister
composed of peiicedaniini )iiice, opopanax, incense, and stoneless raisins.
But before making use of this hist remedy, he advises that the tooth and
the gums near it should be fomented with very hot oil, by means of a
toothpick or ear-picker wrapped around, at one end, with some wool. If
the pain does not entirely cease, or comes on again, it is well, says the
author, to continue the fomentations with hot oil, above the plaster,
until the pain ceases. To strengthen loose teeth, Scribonius advises
frequent rinsings of the mouth with asses' milk or with wine in which
have been cooked the roots of the sorrel until the liquid has boiled down
to one-third. Another remedy which he recommends against looseness
of the teeth is composed of honey and alum mixed together in a mortar,
in the proportion of two parts of the first to one of the second, and then
cooked in an earthen vase, so as to render the mixture more homogeneous,
and to give it more consistency. He also speaks of a third medicament,
resulting from cooking strong vinegar, alum, and cedria' in a copper vessel
until it has the consistency of honey. This remedy would serve not only
to make loose teeth firm, but the author assures us also that whoever
rubs the teeth with it, three times a month, will never be subject to dental
pains.
Scribonius Largus gives the receipts for various dentifrice powders
in use at that period. The skin of the radish dried in the sun, pounded
to powder, and then passed through a sieve, would furnish a good denti-
frice, suited to strengthen the teeth and to keep them healthy. Very
white glass, similar to crystal, reduced to a very fine powder and mixed
with spikenard, is also, according to Scribonius Largus, a valuable
dentifrice.
Octavia, sister of Augustus, used a powder which our author highly
commends, saying that it strengthens the teeth and makes them very
beautiful." To prepare it, one must take a sextary^ of barley flour and
knead it well to a paste with vinegar and honey mixed together, and
must divide the mass into six balls, each of which must be mixed with
half an ounce of salt; these balls must then be cooked in the oven until
carbonized; and lastly pounded to powder, as much spikenard being
added as is necessary to give it an agreeable perfume.
Scribonius Largus also lets us know the tooth powder made use of
by Messalina, the wife of the Emperor Claudius; this was composed of
calcined stag's horn, mastic of Chios, and sal ammoniac, mixed in the

' Gum of the cedar tree.
^ Dentifricium, quod splendidos facit dentes et confirmat, cliap. xi, lix.
^ A Roman measure of capacity, equal to a little more tfian half a liter.