Two of her dental pearls have passed away;
The two essential to those perfect strains,
That charm the soul when heavenly music reigns.
But fly, ye swains, to Seraphina fly,
And bid her fastly flowing tears be dry;
Haste to her cottage, where in vain she seeks
To wipe the burning deluge from her cheeks;
And when you find her, soothe her frantic mind,
And bid her cast her sorrows to the wind;
In secret whisper this kind truth impart;--
There is a remedy:--the dental art
Can every varying tone with ease restore,
And give thee music sweeter than before!--Thus,
to desponding man in life’s dark way,
The angel, mercy, points the opening day;
And through the tear that trembles in his eye,
Reveals the glories of her kindred sky.(49)
END OF CANTO FIFTH.
APPENDIX.
NOTES.
(1) _But lo! their art survives to bless the world._
Hippocrates, a lineal descendant of Esculapius, the first accurate
observer, and the first eminent physician of which we have any definite
account, flourished in Greece, about four hundred and sixty years
before the Christian era. He describes in various parts of his works,
as well the functions and period of appearance of the several teeth, as
their principal diseases, and the plan of treating them, both by manual
operations and by dentrifices.
At the commencement of the Christian era, we find in the writings of
Celsus, a celebrated physician of Rome, very explicit instructions on
the subject of several important operations on the teeth; and during
the recent excavation at Pompeii and Herculaneum, several dental
implements have been discovered, much resembling some of those in use
at the present day.
Celsus treats of scarifying the gums, of extracting, scraping, and even
of stopping teeth; and fixing loosened teeth with gold wire;--indeed,
this last practice is alluded to in the twelve tables of the Roman laws.
The Latin poet, Martial, makes habitual allusion to artificial teeth,
as worn by the ladies of Rome in his time.
The celebrated Arabian surgeon, Albucasis, in the tenth century,
enters very extensively into descriptions of dental operations, and
gives drawings of a great number of instruments, used in his time
for extracting, scraping, loosening, and even of filing the teeth, a
practice which had been introduced more recently than any of the others.
It was not till the seventeenth century that we have authentic records
of the exercise of the profession of dentistry distinctly from that of
surgery. Gillies, and other practitioners in France, received the title
of surgeon dentists as early as 1622.
In the year 1700, persons destined for the dental profession were
compelled, in France, to submit themselves to a regular examination;
and it is from this period that we must date, in modern times, the
regular establishment of this art, as a distinct branch of surgical
practice.
Among those who distinguished themselves as dentists during the last
century, were Berdmore, Fauchard, Gerauldy, Larini, Bunon, Mouton,
Leclure, Bourdet, Aitkin, De Chemant, Ray, Moore, and Talma; and it is
to the undivided attention of such men as these, that we must attribute
the vast additions made during that period, to our knowledge of the
structure and diseases of the teeth.
Of the authors who have written on the subject during the present
century, it will be sufficient to mention here, Blake, Fox, Duval, Le
Forgue, De la Barre, Beaume, Maury, Bell, Koecker, Fitch, and Hare.
There are many others whose experience would enable them to produce
works highly useful to the world, and particularly to young
practitioners.
Mr. Cartwright, of London, with whom I have the pleasure of a personal
acquaintance, is known to be the most celebrated dentist now in Europe,
but has not as yet made public his views, in relation to his practice.
It is most earnestly to be hoped that he will shortly publish his
opinions.
Mr. John Waite, who, for many years, not only had the most extensive
practice, but was the best practitioner in London, died without leaving
any thing behind him in the way of writing.
We have cause also to regret that the late Dr. Hudson, of Philadelphia,
did not, during his life time, embody his professional principles for
the benefit of his contemporaries, and those who shall succeed him in
dental operations. I may say, without fear of contradiction, that he
has left behind him no one in this country so able to instruct, and so
well qualified, from observation and experience, to be useful to the
student. I am well pleased to learn that he left a large collection
of notes and memoranda on his practice, and critical remarks on the
writings and practice of other dentists, all of which have fallen
into the hands of Doctor Trenor, of this city, to whom the profession
is already indebted for several very valuable papers on subjects
connected with his profession. With so valuable help as the papers of
Doctor Hudson, so able and zealous a compiler as Doctor Trenor may
well encourage the profession to expect a work of great value to all
who wish to become thoroughly acquainted with the theory and practice
of dental surgery. I cannot forbear making an extract from an article
published in one of the Philadelphia papers, from the pen of my highly
esteemed friend, Doctor Fitch, author of the most comprehensive work on
the teeth ever published in this country. The extract which follows, is
a just tribute of respect to the memory of departed worth, and alike
creditable to the feelings and liberality of the author; and I believe
every dentist who had the slightest acquaintance with Dr. Hudson’s
practice, will cheerfully admit the propriety of Doctor Fitch’s
eulogium.
“Some abler pen--some nearer friend, may tell his merits as a parent, a
husband, and a citizen. The writer of this will presume only to speak
of him as a professional man. Those only who have carefully attended
to the subject, can have any adequate idea of the benefit the labors of
Doctor Hudson have conferred, not only upon the people of this city,
but of every part of the United States.
“When he commenced his practice here, he found the profession,
generally, at a very low ebb, usually exercised by mechanics. Those
great principles which elevate dental surgery from an art to a science,
were almost entirely overlooked or unknown. To remove this mass of
rubbish--to obliterate bitter and widely extended prejudices, was the
task of Doctor Hudson. How well he performed this duty can only be
estimated by a reference to the state of the profession at the time he
commenced his practice, and when he was taken from it by the hand of
death.
“Previously to his time, nearly all the talent among the dentists of
this country was directed to the making and insertion of artificial
teeth. Doctor Hudson taught the _possibility_ and the immense advantage
of _preserving_ the _living teeth_, instead of suffering their loss,
and resorting to artificial ones. He taught that, by strictly attending
to the dentition of children, all the irregularities and deformity of
the teeth might be prevented; and that by continuing our attentions,
and performing timely operations upon any of those which might become
defective, these useful organs may be preserved in perfection during
our whole lives.
“Founded upon these principles, and recommended by his admirable
operations, the practice of Doctor Hudson soon became the praise and
admiration of all who witnessed or experienced its beneficial effects.
His name was soon placed as first amongst all those who practised
dentistry in this country. This reputation he always retained.
“In another way his superior system of practice has conferred an
amount of benefit which can never be fully appreciated. It is, that
his excellent and highly finished operations have long been models
of imitation to other dentists. For a great many years, to equal his
operations has been the highest ambition of other practitioners; none
expected to excel them.
“The gentlemanly deportment of Doctor Hudson to his patients and
patrons, his urbanity, his mildness, pointed him out as a model to all
surgeon dentists.
“Finally: he ever sustained the dignity and respectability of the
profession, inspired confidence in its capabilities, and demonstrated
its claims to a high standing among those professions which contribute
to the well being and happiness of the human family.”
I have lately been informed that Doctor Flagg, of Boston, a gentleman
well known for his professional ability, is now preparing a work of
considerable extent, designed for the student and profession at large.
Mr. Arnold, also, of this city, a well educated dentist, is translating
a popular French work.
(2) _The teeth, deciduous, totter and decay._
“The teeth are composed of two very distinct substances. The internal
is called the osseous part, or rather ivory, and forms the greatest
part of a tooth; the external, which envelopes the former like a thin
incrustation, on all that part which is out of the sockets from the
commencement of the roots, is the enamel.
“At the extremity of each root there is a very small hole, by which the
blood vessels and a nervous filament penetrate, destined to give it
life and nourishment. The nerve and the blood vessels continue their
course in a narrow canal, with which the root is provided, and form,
in the interior of the tooth, a pulpy mass, composed of a gelatinous
substance, contained in a very thin mucous membrane, formed by the
development of the nerve and its vessels. It is by means of this
membrane, that the tooth forms and nourishes itself, and acquires its
increase.” (_Gerbaux on the Teeth, Edinburgh Edition_, 1817, pp. 34,
35, 36.)
(3) _Would shield defenceless infancy from harm._
“The teeth furnish very considerable characteristics of scrofulous
habits. Either they are badly formed as to their common outline; their
surfaces are corrugated and discolored; or, if they be well shapen
individually, their enamel is very thin, and preternaturally white;
and the spaces between the teeth are unusually wide. It is a wise
precaution to observe the teeth of nurses; for I should always question
the fitness of a wet nurse, with a bad set of teeth, however other
circumstances may be in her favor.” (_View of the Alimentary Organs, by
Thomas Hare, London_, 1821, p. 228.)
(4) _And patient merit never want a friend._
“It is to be hoped, that in time, patients will be able to discover
that educated men are successful in a far greater number of instances
than even the most fortunate of advertising empirics. But it is an
old complaint, and, unhappily, though old, not an obsolete one, that
ignorant pretension, especially when wrapped in mystery, is more
attractive to the million, than modest ability. It is consoling
however, to the respectable practitioner to know, that while empirical
trickery may confer an evanescent fame, sound scientific acquirement is
the only basis on which can be founded a reputation solid, progressive,
and enduring.” (_Snell on the Teeth_, 1882, p. 164.)
(5) _And seeks from science her appointed part._
“Infants have been born with one or more teeth; this was the case with
the great monarch, Louis XIV., in whom the presence of a tooth at his
birth, seemed the presage of his future greatness;--Polydore Virgil
also mentions a child that was born with six teeth; but towards the end
of the first year is the most usual time for the teeth to appear, and
about the thirtieth month they are all cut, to the number of twenty:
they are called milk teeth, either because they cut while milk is the
only nourishment, or because they equal that fluid in whiteness. They
are also called primitive or casting teeth: they are ten in number in
each jaw; four of which are incisors, two canine, and four grinders.
The incisors of the lower jaw appear first, then those of the upper
jaw, afterward the canine, or, more frequently, the grinders.
“Every thing here appears to be for the advantage of the infant; an
interval of a month or six weeks, between the cutting of each tooth,
seems designed to calm the irritation which generally accompanies this
evolution; for it is rare to cut these teeth, and particularly the
canine, without a swelling in the gums, heat of the mouth, salivation,
and redness of the cheeks. This is the way that dentition usually
proceeds; sometimes it is so calm and easy, that the tenderest mother
has no reason to fear, while at other times it is so laborious, and
attended with so many accidents, as to put the life of the child in
jeopardy; in this latter case, whatever be the cause, the effects
are sufficiently obvious; they have been observed from the earliest
times, and almost in every country, and accord with the observation
of Hippocrates: ‘Those,’ says he, ‘whose teeth are on the point of
cutting, are affected with itching of the gums, fevers, convulsions,
diarrhœas; especially in cutting the canine teeth, and in those
children which are fat, and of a constipated habit of body.’--(_Aphor.
sec._ III. 25.) To add to this picture, would be to augment that dread
of dentition which sensible mothers feel but too acutely at present;
without being able to foresee or to combat those causes, which often
render it violent, and sometimes mortal. But to dissemble, and to say
that dentition is never difficult and perilous, would be to consign
too many mothers to a perfidious security, and one day they would have
but too much reason to complain of this silence.” (_Dentiste de la
jeunesse, by Duval, Atkinson’s translation_, pp. 29, 30, 31.)
(6) _And flooding tears, in sad succession rise._
The first set of teeth begin to protrude generally about the sixth or
eighth month; but in some cases the teeth have been known to make their
appearance as early as the fourth or fifth month; and sometimes, on
the contrary, not until the fourteenth or fifteenth. The period of
teething does not depend on the health and strength of the child, as
this process sometimes seems slowest with the strongest children.
The two incisors of the under jaw are the first which make their
appearance; and are followed, in about three weeks or a month, by
similar teeth in the upper jaw. The lateral incisors of the under jaw
are the next which follow. Nature then interrupts this uniformity
of progress, and instead of the canine teeth, which are the next in
situation, the anterior molares of the under jaw make their appearance,
and are succeeded in a short time by those of the upper. The canine
teeth and larger molares then follow to complete the set, which is
generally effected in about two years and a half. Deviations from this
order are occasionally met with, and, in some instances, children have
been known to be born with the two front incisors of the lower jaw; but
as such premature growth cannot be perfect, and as such teeth occasion
much pain and inconvenience to the child, it is always advisable to
extract them. The first dentition is a critical period in the life of
a child; and the mortality from this cause is clearly ascertained to
comprise more than half of those that die under the age of two years.
The efforts which the teeth make to unfold themselves, naturally
produce a powerful tension and pressure on the gums; and this gives
rise to irritation and pain. The gums become swelled and inflamed; the
saliva is constantly discharged from the mouth, and the whole frame
seems to labor under the influence of fever.
It is proper, therefore, that every parent should be aware of the
consequences that may ensue, in order to resort to those means which
experience has found to be most successful in affording relief. This
can be obtained only by lessening the pressure of the tooth on the gum.
To accomplish this, the child is generally allowed some hard substance
to rub thereon; but this, although it may give temporary relief, tends
in the end to increase the irritation. Gentle friction with the finger
will be found to afford more relief, and may be rendered still more
effectual by the use of a little fine salt, or any other substance
which will cause a discharge, and therefore reduce the inflammatory
action of the vessels. Scarification, however, seems to be the safest
experiment that can be employed. This is performed, by the point of a
lancet, pressed down upon the tooth, until the gum and the investing
membrane be fully divided. The pressure being by this means taken off,
the child will experience instantaneous relief. Parents should be
cautious how they give way to any vulgar prejudice against an operation
by which many have been freed from the most dangerous symptoms.
The use of the coral has been recommended by persons totally ignorant
of the disorders of dentition, in opposition to the opinions of those
who have made the teeth their exclusive study. I am decidedly in
favor of the theory of Doctor Blake, who says “The coral is a most
dangerous weapon, put into the hands of children to destroy themselves;
for as the teeth arise and become slightly elevated above the edge of
the socket, those hard bodies press and bruise the gum between them
and the sharp points or edge of the tooth underneath; inflammation
and its consequences undoubtedly follow; and in this way, I am firmly
persuaded, the lives of thousands of children have been lost.”
Dentition is often accompanied by a fever of an inflammatory nature;
the cheeks become flushed; the eyes heavy and the skin hot and parched;
the rest is broken and the appetite lost; and if timely assistance
be not obtained, convulsions sometimes suddenly supervene, and not
unfrequently terminate fatally.
The mildest effort which marks the interposition of nature, is the
appearance of numerous eruptions of the skin; the period of dentition
marks their true nature, they are never removed nor cured until the
cause ceases to exist.
(7) _And neither wound too little nor too much._
“As far as my experience has taught me,” says Dr. John Hunter, “to
cut the gum down to the tooth, appears to be the only method of cure.
It acts either by taking off the tension upon the gum, arising from
the growth of the tooth, or by preventing the ulceration which must
otherwise take place. It often happens that the gum will re-unite over
the tooth; in which case the same symptoms will be produced, and they
must be removed by the same method. I have performed the operation
above ten times upon the same teeth, when the disease had recurred
so often, and every time with the absolute removal of the symptoms.
The gums may bleed a little, which may be of service in taking off
the inflammation. I never saw a case where the bleeding either proved
inconvenient or dangerous.”--(_Hunter on the Human Teeth_, pp. 240,
243.)
(8) _Let unobstructed nature do the rest._
“If we consult the tables of mortality in the towns and villages, the
number of the victims of dentition, will certainly appear appalling;
and they are always found to be more numerous in the former than in
the latter. Happy villages! Your industrious inhabitants, with usages
as ancient as their manners, raise their little ones in a manner more
conformable to nature; they do not offer, in their cares, the spectacle
of that refinement, which the mothers of the city, with more appearance
of sensibility, have drawn from the theories of education, which do not
acknowledge experience for their base.” (_Atkinson’s Duval_, p. 36.)
(9) _Descends lamented to an early tomb._
“Since in childhood the first sufferings begin, in childhood also
the foundation of a good or bad constitution is laid. It is at this
critical time that the greatest attention should be paid to the state
of the gums, to mark the protrusion of the teeth, as well as the
after changes; for it is only by knowing the steps and order of their
progress, that proper aid can be given to the efforts of nature, during
the years of childhood.” (_L. S. Parmly’s Lectures_, pp. 34, 35.)
(10) _In one, deformity;--the other, pain._
This deformity generally arises from inattention during the time of
shedding teeth. The remedy consists in removing the causes, of which
there are many. The first is when the growth of the jaw is insufficient
for the new set, and thus forcing them to crowd and overlap each other,
by which the central incisors of the upper jaw are pressed forward, and
thus forming what has been termed, from its shape, “a rabbit mouth.”
In such cases, the extraction of one or more of the bicuspides from
each side of the mouth is absolutely necessary, in order to bring the
incisors into a regular arrangement, which, after this operation, is
easily effected, by the occasional pressure of the thumb and finger, or
by a judicious application of silken ligatures.
It is sometimes, however, necessary to apply gold plates, springs, and
other mechanical contrivances, to bring them into a regular arrangement.
A second irregularity arises from supernumerary teeth. This takes
place, most frequently, in the front teeth of the upper jaw, and thus
gives it a most unseemly appearance. In this case it is likewise
necessary to have recourse to extraction as soon as possible.
A third irregularity, and one of frequent occurrence, arises from one
tooth projecting beyond another. This is easily remedied by removing
the projecting part with a proper instrument.
A fourth irregularity consists in the teeth having formed themselves
into ragged edges: and a fifth, in their having received fractures from
blows or falls. The last two irregularities are principally confined
to the front teeth, from their frequent action against each other,
more especially when the back ones have been lost; and from being,
by their situation, more exposed to accident. These irregularities
are likewise remedied by removing portions from their cutting edges.
This operation is not only one of the most useful, but it is often
absolutely necessary; for diseases of the tongue and cheek are
sometimes occasioned by projecting, or badly formed teeth: and it not
unfrequently happens, that very useful teeth are extracted, to the
future inconvenience of the patient, when the judicious removal of
portions only would have answered every purpose; and that a partial
loss of enamel from the cutting edges never produces decay, while
the natural cavity in the tooth remains untouched, is evident from
the well known practice of savage nations, who cut their teeth into
various shapes without incurring any disease. When fractures are too
extensive to be remedied by the above treatment, various circumstances,
particularly the age of the person, must influence the mode of
proceeding. If the fracture be of one tooth, and the person has not
arrived at the age of maturity, the extraction of the fractured tooth,
by giving the adjoining ones the opportunity of approaching each
other, will render the defect but inconsiderable. When, however, such
accidents occur at an advanced period of life, this kind of treatment
can hardly be expected to be entirely successful; but as there is no
other means of remedying the defect, unless it be the insertion of an
artificial tooth, the earlier assistance is procured, the greater will
be the chance of success. A tooth that has been knocked out without
injury to its socket, will fasten again, if immediately returned and
secured in its place.
Mr. Duval has the following judicious remark on this subject:--“It is
from the age of six years to that of fourteen, being the usual period
of the second dentition, that the teeth require the greatest care. When
there is any disposition to irregularity, they ought to be inspected
once or twice a year by the surgeon dentist, who can in almost all
cases ensure a regular arrangement.” (page 27.)
(11) _Avoid the danger, or repair the ill._