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256 THIRD PER'OD-MODERN TIMES

their cure in a masterly work on surgery, published for the first time in
1718, and which went through numerous editions in various languages.
When the caries ot a tooth is superficial, Heister advises the removal
of the decayed part with the file; or, when the caries is deep down,
the cavity ought first to be well cleaned with a toothpick or other like
instrument, then filled with heated white wax, or mastic, the stopping
being renewed as often as may be necessary. When a molar tooth is
decayed, especially in the centre, the best way, says Heister, is to fill it
with gold or lead leaf, or with a piece of the latter fitting into the cavity.
If the carious cavity of a painful molar cannot be cleaned as it ought to be,
the dropping ot a little oil of cloves or of cinnamon or of guaiacum into
it will be found useful, or even a few drops of spirit of vitriol; for in this
manner one obtains at the same time the double advantage of destroying
the impurities contained in the carious cavity and of soothing the pain.
But if by chance the pain should persist, recourse must be had to the
cauterizing iron, or to extraction. Sometimes, however, even the most
violent toothache can be made to cease, either by scarifying the gums
(a method already recommended by Pliny), by cauterizing the antitragus,
or by pressing the aching tooth hard between the fingers, as Schelhammer^
and some other writers had advised.
Heister writes at length on the extraction of teeth, on the indications
and counterindications appertaining thereto, on the instruments with
which the operation should be carried out, and so on. Regarding the
position of the patients, he thinks it best to place them on a low seat or
on the ground, if the tooth to be extracted is situated in the lower jaw,
but if an upper tooth is to be extracted, patients should be placed on a
chair or on a bed.
Movable prosthetic pieces are mentioned for the first time by this
author. Although he is very concise in his manner of speaking of artificial
teeth (this indicating that dental prosthesis was considered outside the
sphere of action of the general surgeon), we nevertheless learn from him
that partial sets of teeth made of ivory or hippopotamus tusks, and
without special appliances for fixing them, were then in use, which,
when applied in the void between the neighboring teeth, were maintained
in position simply by their form. The author advises keeping prosthetic
pieces very clean, removing them every evening before going to bed, and
not putting them back in the mouth until they have been well cleaned.
Heister also speaks of nasal prosthesis; this was then carried out by
npph'ing noses made of wood or of silver, properly painted. In cases of

' SclKlli:ininur vviorc- a disstrtation "on the cure of toorhaclu- hv touch," Dc odontalgia
iactu sananda, Kiel, 1701. In the same year and in the same city, another pamphlet, by
JJ. Krysingius, was written on the same subject. (See Crowley, Dental Bibliography, p. 13.)