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HISTOEY OF DENTAL SUEGEEY : 347

at the other. During mediiPval times artificial teeth were seldom worn, as the
dentists seemed slcillful enough to save the natural teeth, but the Chinese were
known to have good teeth.
The ancient Jajianese ranked above any barbarian or semi-civilized nation
in the practice of dental prosthesis.
One authority gives the following description of Japanese methods
''A piece of wax large enough to cover the roof of the mouth is heated,
introduced, and pushed into position, it is then removed and placed in cold
water. Another piece of wax large enough to make the cast, is then heated
and applied to the impression, pressed into every part, then chilled in cold
water, and separated. A piece of wood is roughly cut to the desired form,
and the cast having been smeared over with red paint, is now applied to the
plate; where they touch each other is marked by the paint; this part of the
wood is cut away, and the process repeated until the plate coats uniformly with
the red paint. On the cheap dentures the teeth are merely outlined, but for
a better price the teeth are made of stone, shark's teeth, or ivory let into the
wood and retained in place by being strung on a string which is secured at
each end by a peg driven into a hole. Iron or copper tacks are driven into
the ridge to serve for masticating purposes."
Partial dentures were fastened to tlie adjoining natural teeth by a piece of
thread, and used for appearance sake.
The Japanese are very dexterous and admirable workers in all metals. They
have made great advances in dentistry. Some of their young men came to the
United States to obtain a dental education and then returned home to practice.
A few Europeans and Americans are practicing in Japan. There is also a den-
tal college at Tokyo. For sc\'eral years they have l)eeu using artificial teeth
made in the United States with special reference to their demands. At first the
porcelain teeth manufactured here for the Japanese were black, as they were
tlie fashion established by the women, who after marriage dyed their teeth
black by chewing betel nuts and leaves. At present very few black porcelain
teeth are used by them, as they are adopting our forms and colors.
The S. S. Wliite Company has an exhibit of artificial teeth, dental tools,
etc., illustrating ancient Japanese dentistry, which comprises two hundred
and four difl^erent articles.
The art of replacing natural with artificial teeth by the natives of Siam
was the only thing attempted, in the way of dentistry, up to 1895, in that
country. One of the former kings carved and fitted for himself a full set of
lower teeth out of the hard shell of a cocoanut.