CHINESE DENTISTRY.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Volume 2, Issue 88, 7 June 1879, Page 2

CHINESE DENTISTRY.

In European countries the dread art of the dentist is now-a-days practised with such skill and ingenuity, witli the view of causing the least possible pain to suffering humanity, that it will not bo uninteresting—albeit the subject is somewhat a grim one —to contrast with it the more clumsy methods in vogue among the Chinese ; and with this end we abridge the following notes from an instructive article in the China Review, a periodical published every two months at Hongkong, and frequently affording much valuable information respecting tho Celestial Empire.

It is well known that tho Chinese attribute toothache to tho gnawing of worms, and that their dentists profess to take these worms, from decayed teeth. But how they performed this trick, and so artfully concealed it in the hurry of daily business, was a secret only recently solved by a European inquirer. After some difficulty and delicate negotiation, an intelligent-looking native practitioner was induced to hand over the implements of his trade, together with a number of the worms, and to give instructions in tho method of procedure.

When a patient with toothocho applies for relief, if the tooth is solidly fixed in the socket, the gun is separated from it with sharp instruments and made to bleed. During this operation the ohcek is held on one side by a bamboo spatula, both ends of which ore alike, and on the and hold in the hand some minute worms are concealed under thin paper pasted to the spatula. When all is ready, this is adroitly turned and inserted iu the mouth, and the paper becoming moistened is very easily torn with the sharp instrument ÜBed for cutting the gums; the worms mix with tho saliva, and tho dentist of courso picks them out with a pair of forceps. The patient having ocular demonstration that tho cause of tho disease has been removed, has good reason to exjiect relief, which in many cases would naturally follow the bleeding of tho gum. When tho pain returns, the same operation is performed again, and a fresh, supply of worms fully occouuts for the incurring trouble. Those worms ore manufactured in quantities to suit tho trade, anil they aro

very cleverly done; still to carry out the delusion fully, the dentists are obliged to keep on hand a few live worms to show their patients, explaining that most of those taken from the killed either by a powder which is ofteiuapplied, or by the process of removing them with the forcep. The practice just dtwribed, it may be added, is resorted to when the tooth is fit inly set in the jaw. The painless extraction of teeth is supposed to be accomplished by tho application of a powder to the gum, which is said to liKison the tooth so that it may he removed after a little time with the thumb and forefinger. This powder howevor, like the other, is useless, and only applied to deceive the patient. Indeed, unle.-s, a tooth is loose the Chinese have no means of removing it; they do use a pair of forceps, but these are useless, except with a loose tooth, and when employed they have to be concealed in a cloth, because patients are taught that, ne instruments are used. Another of tho Chinese dentist's stock-in-trade is a tint piece of iron with a hole at one end of it, which he uses to hook on the end of the canine teeth when thoy are irregular, removing them by a suddon upward jerk. When a tooth is not sufficiently loosened to drop out or be pushed out by tho tongue, a little folded or twisted paper is sometimes used, one end of which is so adjusted in the mouth, that when the patient closes his teeth, which he is directed to do, the loose tooth bites upon it, and the operator then gives the paper a quick pull, and so removes the tooth.

An operation on a canino tooth is thus described. The dentist first applied powder, and then took up a piece of cloth in which was concealed a flat iron instrument of the kind mentioned above ; this he kept in his right hand, and in his left he hold, wrnpped in paper, a flattened lump of wax, which is called " toothache plaster," and is believed to have in it .some charm or power °to loosen teeth. After the powder had done its supposed work the dentist struck the patient several slight blows with his left hand in quick succession on the cheek just behind the region of the tooth to bu removed by the plaster. This was done to divert the attention of the patient, whilo the operator with his other hand appeared to be rubbing the gum with the piece of cloth, but was in reality adjusting tho instrument on the tooth. Then, with a quick jerk upward and outward, he partly dragged the tooth from the socket, the upward jerk being so quickly and adroitly managed as, to give the appearance of an , accidental catch on the tooth, or a hasty movement of the hand as the dentist stepped hurriedly back to get some more toothacho plaster. Tho same operation was then performed over again, and tho tooth came out.

The insertion of artificial teeth was practised in China lor ages before it was introduced into Europe, and has, certainly onu great recommendation, namely cheapness. The material used is bono or ivory, and the tooth having been sawed and filed into the proper shape, is fastened to the adjoining teeth by copper wire or catgut string. If two or moro teeth are required, they are made in one piece; and a hole being drilled through the entire length, u double string or wire is passed through it and is looped over the natural toctli at one end and tied to the teeth at the Other. This work, though rude in the extreme, looks better than the absence of toetb, and is of somo use in mastication. The co.it of a single artificial tooth is commonly from twopence halfpennny to (ivepence, and the charge for half-a-dozen from one shilling and threepence to two shillings. Even at these low rates Chinese dentists are said to do a thriving trade; and if thus be the case, we should say that, all things considered, their fellow-couu-trymun must be a very long-suffer-ing ' race indeed.—Chambers's Journal.