birth to nine children-youngest child nearly seven weeks old; nervous, sanguine temperament; apparently in good health. Gave about one ounce of whisky before commencing. The roots and teeth removed with ease and facility, and with but little pain. In extracting the last five, she insisted upon my not stopping, not even long enough to spit the blood out. Nothing unusual occurring at the time, I left at twenty minutes to noon. She was very well, lively and gay, joking with her husband, about ten o'clock next day, as he was starting to ride off. Half an hour later, there was an old negro man reported to be dying, a hundred and fifty yards from her house, whom she went to see. After remaining a few minutes, started to return. She was seen to sink down dead within fifty yards of her door. Had the extracting taken place twenty-four hours later, death would have transpired during the operation. Or had chloroform, ether or gas been given, they would have been charged as being the cause, even death ensuing twenty-four hours afterwards. The clot may have been formed and received into the venous circulation after confinement, and from there conveyed to the heart. SOL. HORIne.

St. Jo. Lead Mines, Mo., April 26, 1876.

WISCONSIN STATE DENTAL SOCIETY, 1875.

"PRESERVATION OF THE TEETH.”

DISCUSSION.

DR. DEAN, of Chicago-The essayist has presented the matter very faithfully. I might not agree with him in every case. Could only decide that when the case was presented. In cases of superior incisors, would separate more upon the lingual than the labial surface.

DR. SWAIN, of Chicago-Is in favor of and practices Dr. Arthur's method in many cases.

DR. WILLIAMSON, Red Wing. Minn.-In some cases contour fillings are subjected to very heavy strain, and if the walls are frail in such cases, one can not feel very safe in restoring full

contour of the tooth.

DR. CUSHING, of Chicago-In regard to the desirability of copying nature, I think some of us often err. We are dealing with an artificial and not a natural order of things. The decayed condition of the teeth is not natural, and when we find this condition it is not in all cases a good argument in favor of natural shapes or--Contour fillings. My own observation leads me to think that more teeth may be saved by free separation than by Contour filling. Do not question the propriety of making contour fillings in many cases, but the observation of many leading practitioners is that free separations are often preferrable. I think not one in ten of first class operators make perfect cervical margins in cases of full contour fillings.

DR. CLARK, Beloit-In many cases the original shape of the tooth is the cause of decay. If, in filling, we restore the original shape, we may also restore the original cause of decay. In approximal cavities, build a portion of the filling, and then finish the cervical margin of filling before restoring contour.

M. H. WEBB-Contour signifies the line that bounds, defines. or terminates a figure.

Whether a cavity be large or small, the gold should be built out a little beyond the line or margin of the cavity, so that it may be trimmed off in conformity with the contour line of the tooth. This being true, it is then certain that all fillings should be contour, at least, so far as that part of the gold which is built against the margin of enamel is concerned. If the gold be not impacted against, and made full with the edges of enamel, the operation will not be such as is demanded for the preservation of the remaining tooth structure. Even when so impacted, and the fillings are finished, so that a plane surface of gold remains, the tooth thus operated upon will most likely come in contact with the one adjoining, and this plane surface allow the enamel of the one to approximate closely the enamel of the other. This should be obviated by restoring the contour of the tooth-by having the line of the gold to conform to the original contour of the lost tis

sue-and then, when a tooth so operated upon, approximates the next in the arch, the most prominent part of the portion restored in gold will come in contact, and thus leave the margin of enamel free.

NOTES.

MERCURIAL POISONING.-A lady, age 35, comes to consult me in regard to the loosening of her teeth. They are all loose: gums look healthy, but the Alveoli have been resorted, and the gums have followed them. Has not been sick since a child, she says. Has not taken medicine for many years. Her teeth are nearly all plugged, and some contain two or three plugs. The plugs are all gold; has never had any other material used in her teeth. Plugs in good condition. I think this is the result of mercurial poisoning before the age of three years. I can do nothing to arrest the progress of resorption at this late day. These cases are common; I have several in my mind. [ED.

CELLULOID RUBBER.-"As soon as that Cummins' patent has expired, what a rush there will be back to rubber? What a modification of views as to their respective merits! Celluloid is a good base, in my opinion. I like it, but when rubber becomes free, I think I shall like celluloid none the less, but shall use rubber more." That is what I hear in the air when no one is present but myself. [ED.

THE users of Leslie's Crystalline Gold must use smooth points if they wish the best results. They will find leaky plugs with serrated pluggers.

CAVITIES plugged with gold should be lined with four thicknesses of No. 10 tin-foil, to diminish voltaic action between tooth and plug, by keeping the gold away from the walls of the tooth.

"WILLIAMS" is making cylinders of pure tin, now for sale at depots. Also gold and tin wound together, when ordered.

ERROR on page 211. "(Ox. cl. gold)" should read (ox. cl. zinc) in 22d line from top of page.

ERROR on page 208, twelfth line from top, read tin instead of gold.

ERROR.-The article "Oral Electricity" was not read at the Missouri State Dental Society.

CROOKES'S RADIOMETERS.-Messrs. Mawson & Swan are now in a position to supply this wonderful instrument. Price 40s. Post free (at buyers' risk), 41s. 11 and 13, Mosley street, Newcastle-on-Tyne, and for sale by Jas. Queen & Co, Philadelphia. The above free notice is given because the instrument is worthy of the attention of all scientific men. Its measure of "the mechanical action of light" is perfect. Photographers would find them invaluable for determining the exact time to be given to sitters.

PRACTICE FOR SALE.--A dentist in Iowa says: "I offer for sale my dental practice and office fixtures, furniture, instruments and tools. This office is pleasantly located in the most healthful city in Iowa. The practice is first-class. The town has a population of between 8,000 and 10,000. Population of county, 30,000. The furniture and fixtures, chair, engine and laboratory tools, original cost over one thousand dollars, all of which will be sold, including four hundred dollars worth of plate work engaged, for the low price of six hundred dollars. Terms-$200 down, and balance in one and two years. Satisfactory reasons given for selling. Address the Editor of this Journal."

The Editor knows the above to be true.-Ed.

A SORT of artificial ivory, which can be carved or moulded, is prepared in Berlin, by mixing phosphate of lime intimately with gutta-percha.

A French chemist has discovered the elixir of life in sour buttermilk, the lactic acid in which dissolves the products of organ. ic combustion, which, as ossifying and calcareous degenerations, are the main agents in the death of the aged.

The new metal gallium has been obtained in a pure state by M. Lecoq, and is found to have a brilliancy between that of plat inum and that of silver.-Boston Journal of Chemistry.

THE MISSOURI

DENTAL JOUrnal,

A MONTHLY RECORD OF THE SCIENCE.

VOL. VIII. -JULY, 1876—No. 7.

COUNT THE FILLINGS.

While much is said and written on the subject of honesty in the profession, there is one phase of it which we do not recollect having seen mentioned. We call attention to it because we feel convinced that it is practiced by many who are in good standing in the profession. We have reference to the practice of counting less fillings in the mouth than is necessary to be inserted. To illustrate: A patient calls at the office to have his teeth examined and an estimate made of the cost of filling them. One dentist finds fifteen cavities. The man is astonished, and feels some doubt as to. the dentist's integrity. He therefore determines to call on another practitioner, who finds perhaps but ten cavities to fill, that is to say he only finds ten that he reports to the patient. He really finds more but does not report them, hoping to get the patient started, and then report the others when the first ten are filled.

Now the latter dentist has placed himself in an attitude where he is very likely to secure the patient. His estimate of the cost of filling ten cavities will very likely be much less than would that of the man who honestly reported all that was to be done in the mouth. The patient is caught by this little trick, concluding that he has at last found an honest dentist.