Page 245 - My FlipBook

PREPARATORY TO FILLING 229
water, saliva, or blood serum, are vaporisable as
soon as formed. At a temperature of about 94° F.
their extreme volatility permits them to thoroughly
impregnate the dentine. The camphors are disin-
fectants in full strength, as was shown by their
deposition on the sides of tubes coated with broth
in which various forms of bacteria were planted.
In the ends of the tubes, where the camphors were
not deposited, a vigorous growth was invariably
observed.
"7. The vaporisable camphors are the agents
which disinfect the so-called blind abscesses, even
when the oil is not introduced into the root of
a tooth further than the pulp-chamber, where it is
sealed only moderately tight.
"8. The foul contents of a root canal, after being
in contact with the oil of cinnamon, oil of cassia,
and eugenol for two days, when planted in sterilised
beef-broth failed to show any sign of life or develop-
ment at the end of fourteen days. Repetition of

this experiment by planting a fresh tube daily
for fourteen days failed to show any sign of bac-
terial life."
A method of procedure (based on Dr. Harlan's)
adopted by the writer for several years is, at the
first sitting, to open up the tooth, clear out the
bulbous portion of the pulp - chamber, place in