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DENTISTRr AMONG THE CHINESE 35 ;

according to whether the mahuh he of recent or of old date; it consists
in the use of internal remedies (pills, potions), or of frictions on the part
where the pain is situated.
4. Han-tong. This is also owing to the action of the cold. J^ains in
the cheek and forehead proceeding from the teeth; no diseased con-
dition either of the gums or of the alveoli.
Tou-tan-to77g. Violent cough and toothache at the same time
5.
difficulty in masticating.
6. Tu-Jinic-toiig. The gums are pale, or violet-red, hard and himpv,
sometimes bleeding; the toothache is continuous. Among the numerous
remedies recommended against this malady (mouth washes, frictions,
draughts, pills), one particularly deserves mention: it is the urine of a
child used as a mouth wash.
7. Tchong-ihe-tong. Pain in the teeth after mastication; there is
also sometimes excoriation of the gums ; flow of purulent mucus mixed
with blood; bad-smelling breath; the tooth falls; it is deca\ed, and
one can perfectly well distinguish a small hole; the root is unsound;
in extracting the tooth one sometimes brings away together with it a
^
little white w^orm, with a black spot on the head, which can be distin-
guished by the aid of a magnif\ ing glass. A remedy must immediately
be administered to destroy these worms, otherwise the patient runs the
risk of having his other teeth attacked in the same manner, and of their
falling out. The remedies against this affection are most numerous,
and belong for the most part to the oftentimes cited categories. One of
them presents a certain interest, its basis being arsenic.
^
In Dabry's book it is described in the following manner: "Arsenic
(gr. 1.80), hoiiang-tau (gr. 3.60); pulverize, mix with water, and with
a part of the mass form a small pill, which put close to the aching tooth
or into the ear, if afraid of the arsenic; then sleep. Cure certain."
8. Toothache, the effect of general weakness, following principally
on abuse of coition. It is to be cured by the use of internal medicine,
or by local remedies to be rubbed on the painful spot. Some of the
medicaments registered in this paragraph have reference to the special
case, in which the teeth are loosened through excess of coition. Among
others there is a prescription for a dentifrice powder for strengthening
the teeth, to be used every mornmg.
9. Toothache following on a blow. It is to be cured by using a
certain dentifrice powder, composed of six ingredients. Another medi-
cament consists in heating about an ounce and one-half of silver in some
recipient, and then pouring wine upon it, and rinsing the mouth with it.
Besides these nine kinds of toothache, the Chinese doctors recognized
a peculiar morbid condition of the teeth and their surrounding parts,
which is thus described in Dabry's book: