Page 95 - My FlipBook

MALLETING. 8l

off the tooth, the pressure carries the instrument onward, and does
damage. It may be only to tear the dam, or it may be to emerge
through the cheek of the patient as I saw happen once, or it may be
to pass completely through the guard-finger as occurred to myself.
like the last, make an
These little accidents, especially im-
enduring
pression.
The advantages of malleting gold are unanimously admitted, I be-
lieve. The only question remaining is, ' ' What mallet shall we
choose?" On this subject I have little to say. It is useless to dis-
cuss the merits of various mallets, for as many opinions can be ob-
tained as there are mallets, or men using them. There are a few
points in connection with the ones most used to which it may be prof-
itable to allude. I was taught to use the automatic mallet. I was a
strong adherent of it for a number of years. I feel satisfied that good
work can be done with as good as with any other. But I once
it,
had a tooth in my o\vn head filled with it, and have never used it on
a since. There is one in the ordinary hand-mallet that
patient feature
is not to be found in any other : the patient is connected with the mallet
at the exact moment With
only of contact as the blow is struck. all
other mallets the patient is practically connected with the instruments
behind the mallet all the time. This is especially true with the auto-
matic. What is its action ? The point is allowed to rest against the
and then is exerted till a released causes a blow
filling, pressure spring
to be struck. Is it not evident that the whole blow is anticipated by
the patient every time ? Is it not plain that, to a nervous person, this
expectation of the coming stroke must be maddening? It was to me,
and I am by no means described by the curious word "nervous,"
which in fact should read "nerveless." With the electric and with
the mechanical mallet it may be argued that the patient is made to
v
feel the mallet at the moments when the blows are but
only produced,
these occur so frequently that the patient is practically connected with
the instrument all the time. Besides, the force which manages the
machine made
hand-mallet is that magnificent by the Creator, which,
The which control the
without being oiled, runs noiselessly. powers
two mallets mentioned, even when thoroughly oiled, make consider-
able noise, and produce an answering response from the suffering
patient.
I think that the hand-mallet is preferable to all others. I depend
upon it whenever I feel that there is necessity for the very best at-
tainable result. Of course it has its limitations. There are places
where a man would need three hands, one for the mallet, one for
the and one for a mouth- mirror with which to reflect
plugger, light,
For I must the habit of
or with which to see the cavity. deprecate
I cannot see how two brains can
having an assistant do malleting.
6