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360 world's history and


charms, or the cross section of a tooth is taken, and after being
highly polished, is set with jewels in a finger ring.
" Only a short time ago I heard a lady complain in this way:
1 I am now thirty-eight years of age and have given each of my
children a tooth, but my father has had only two teeth taken out,
and he has several children older than I am,' intimating that her
chances for a tooth were not particularly bright.
" Still another question I must answer is in regard to med-
icine for the teeth. The Siamese as a people, are noted for their
love of taking medicine. They take it, literally, by the bucket-
ful, and for every little ailment. One of their most prevalent
diseases is that they can not ' eat rice,' and for this they boil
roots and herbs and drink by the potful. But they do not seem
to have thought of any medicine for the teeth except the use
of betel and ceri leaf, which they consider a remedy for the
pain and foul breath attending abscesses of the teeth and gums.
" There is one cause for bad teeth that the Siamese, as yet, do
not realize, and this is the excessive and universal use of mercury
as medicine, both internally and externally, and by all grades
of society.
" My paper, already too long, must now close, with the hope
that it may add a mite to any interest that our profession may
have in this far-away land.
"Bangkok, Siam, June, 1893."







STRAITS SETTLEMENTS.

Include Singapore, Penang and Malacca. Population, 424,000.
Capital, Singapore; population, about 98,000.
From United States Vice-Consul Lyall, in Singapore, we
J.
have had the pleasure to receive the following letter:

Singapore, S. S., February 28, 1893.
" Herman Lennmalm, Esq., D. D. S., Rockford, 111.
I beg to acknowledge receipt of your favor of November 13,
" Dear sir :
last past. There is not much to be said regarding the profession of dentistry
in the Straits Settlements.
" Up to about five years ago Singapore was dependent on traveling dent-
ists only. Since then an American firm from Hong Kong have established a
permanent branch, and lately another American has started in business.
These persons have plenty of work among the European residents.
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