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220 THIRD PERIOD—MODERN TIMES
the words ot Hollerius, already quoted, as to the falseness of the opinion
that fumigations made with the seeds of hyoscyamus cause the worms to
fall out of the teeth. Notwithstanding, he does not in the least doubt the
existence of the worms themselves; and he, like Heurnius, recommends
killing them with oil of vitriol or with a decoction made from a frog cooked
in water and vinegar (Chapter XXXIII). From this, one clearly per-
ceives that the doubts expressed by Hollerius about the existence of dental
worms had not in the least shaken the popular belief in them. Nor,
indeed, could it be otherwise when one considers that Hollerius, as we
duly noted in another place, had not the courage either decidedly to deny
the existence of dental worms, or to formulate in a clear and explicit
manner the doubts which had arisen in his mind on this subject. We
are, therefore, unable to recognize the merit which Linderer^ and Geist-
Jacobi- have attributed to this author, viz., that of having effectually
affirmed the non-existence of dental worms.
Among innumerable vegetable remedies recommended by Strobel-
berger against odontalgia, we will only cite two American plants, the
guaiacum and the tobacco-plant (Nicotiana tabacum). Of the decoction
of guaiacum (Chapter XXXVI) the author says that, used as a mouth
wash, it has the triple virtue of strengthening the gums, of preventing
putrefactive processes, and of calming toothache.
The anti-odontalgic virtue of tobacco is mentioned (Chapter XXXVIII)
for the first time in this work, but, as we learn from Strobelberger himself,
Heurnius has already obtained, experimenting in his own case, the
cessation of an attack of toothache by holding in his mouth spoonfuls
of tepid decoction of nicotiana for the space of two hours.
The same soothing effects may be obtained, says the author, from
the smoke of tobacco; but he attributes this not to the narcotic action of
the remedy, but to the fact that it causes the flow of much saliva from
the mouth and mucus from the nostrils, through which the morbid
humors which provoke the pain are eliminated.
To those suffering from odontalgia, says Strobelberger (Chapter XL),
the internal use of certain mineral waters is also of value, and especially
that of the waters of Carlsbad (Thermae Carolinae). Like many other
remedies, they are useful in rendering the secretions more active, favoring
thus the elimination of morbid substances from the blood. For the
same object of purif)ing the organism and dispersing the accumulated
humors causing the pain, many other means of cure were in usage, such
as aperients (Chapter XXV), phlebotomy, and arteriotomy (Chapter
XXVI H), leeching (Chapter XXIX), scarification and cupping (Chapter

ii, 422.
' Handbucli der Zahnheilkuiidc, Ikrlin, 1848,
Cieschichte der Zalinluilkiindc, p. loi.