Page 52 - My FlipBook

23 HISTORY OF DENTAL SURGERY

In.stnictions, liow to preserve them in good health and to extract the bad ones
and their roots, easily, safclij and without pain."
In the preface to this work the puhlislier remarks: '"Tlie Lord Almighty,
who is cognizant of everything from its very beginning, in his inexpressible
wisdom, ordained, not vainly, that the teeth of brutes, as well as of mankind,
should be the first preparers of food so that nature might be assisted in preserv-
ing the race. * * * But the teeth are not only preparers of food, but are
also given to mankind for speech and for ornament, particularly the front ones,
which recei\ e and echo the impulse of the tongue in sweet sound, or, as Pliny
has it, create order and sweet civility."
This little book contains thirteen chapters, it is full of cjuaint remedies and
perpetuation of the empiricism of the ages that preceded it. It concludes with
the moralizing observation that "when adversity or ill huk attend, a haughty
spirit, magnificence, and pride disappear."
Later, in 1550, a book, "Zeen Artznei'' (tooth doctoring), was also pub-
lished in Germany, but the author's name is not given. It is in its matter .so
nau-li like the one ]>ul)lished by Peter Jordan, in 1532, that it may have been a
second edition of this. It contains niany curious observations.
The first chapter treats of the number and growth of the teeth and relates
that the disinguished Roman, Marcus Curius, was born with fully developed
teeth by reason of which he was named Dentatus. After giving the appearance
and order of first dentition, the author refers to a number of cases of third
dentition, one in a man 104 years old who had lost all his teeth. He also
relates the case of Thimarcus Nicoclis, who had two rows of lower jaws,
in each of which he had teeth.
In a chapter entitled, "How to help the children so that their teeth mav
grow easily," this German author observes that the ])eri(id when the teeth
begin to grow, during the seventh month of life, is frequently accompanied
))y sicknesses and great pain, for the remedy of which he recommends, that
such children should receive frequent l)aths, after which tiie gums should bo
rubbed with a finger that has been dipped in warm cliicken, goose or duck
grease, and tliat this rubbing and pressing .should be continued until the erup-
tion of the teeth. He also recommends for the same purpose the use of hare's
brains alone, or mixed with the fats before mentioned; also that these nostrums
in some cases be applied externally upon tiie cheek. As soon as the teeth
begin to appear he recommends that sheep's wool, taken from the neck of
the animal and dip]>ed in warm oil of camomile or dill, be applied upon