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Plugging the Teeth 117
Covery will excite any interest 5 hence we are a little anxious
to urge it.
Arsenic is the only substance with which we are acquaint-
ed, that will effectually destroy the nerve of a tooth. Nitric
acid and nitrate of silver, (lunar caustic,) have been much
employed for this purpose. They were favorite tooth ache
remedies with Hunter and Abernethy, but they do not gene-
rally do this effectually ; they only destroy the surface of the
nerve; indeed but the small portion of it exposed; besides
they destroy the tooth. A hot wire is the remains of barba-
rism, cruel as death, and does not become the present enlight-
ened day.
A drill, as well as the hot iron, is very painful, and is enough
to strike horror to the soul of a patient. The arsenic effects
the object like a charm, and under proper management never
fails of complete success. Many persons of course would be
apprehensive of dagger from its use ; the eighth of a grain of
arsenic is a common dose in medicine; the twentieth of a
grain is quite enough to destroy the nerve of any tooth. But
let no ignorant person dabble with this remedy. As we re-
commend it so strongly, it is a duty incumbent on us, to
caution the public. There are many who would have
no hesitation in filling a large hollow tooth with arsenic, on
the strength of this recommendation. There are some who do
not even know what it is ! We know of one instance, and
but one, thank Heaven, in which the application of the reme-
dy, was attended with fatal consequences, and we merely
mention it as a warning to presuming quacks.
A man having a violent tooth ache, applied to an ignoramus
for relief, who having heard that arsenic would destroy the
nerve, proceeded to fill the tooth which was very much de-
cayed, with this substance and did not properly confine it.
The man returned home : the pain continuing, he took a
hearty dram arsenic was swallowed and the man
; the
poisoned.
We have used this remedy in hundreds of instances, with-