Page 172 - My FlipBook

168 FILLING TEETH.

The one most frequently employed, is that of heat-
ing the gold, either in the sheet, in the roll, or in
fragments, over the flame of a spirit-lamp, almost or
quite to a red heat ; if in the sheet, it should be laid
upon a piece of wire gauze, and passed over the flame
of the lamp for a moment or two ; if in the roll, it
may be taken in the center with fine pliers and

passed rapidly through the flame ; if in small frag-
ments or pellets, placed upon a piece of charcoal and
a light flame thrown upon them with a blowpipe.
The other method is that adopted by Dr, Coates.
Into a little platinum pan, large enough to hold an
unfolded sheet of foil, are put one or two gills of rain
water, to which are added about forty drops of sul-
phuric acid ; and in this liquid the foil is boiled a

few moments over the flame of a spirit-lamp. The
acid removes all foreign substances from the surface
of the gold. Remove it from the boiling liquid, and
in a moment it is dry and ready for use, and will be
most thoroughly adhesive.
There are different methods of using gold in this
condition ; but in general the cavity should be formed
about as for the other methods of filling, except that
to retain the first piece, there should be two or three
small pits or holes made for retaining points in the
most available position. The first portion of gold

should be a little pellet ; this forced into these re-