An epitome of the history of medicine.

  • Roswell Park
Date:
1898
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An epitome of the history of medicine. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    Human teeth, animal teeth, hippopotamus- tusk and teeth, elephant-ivory, and bone. Human Teeth.—Transplantation of teeth was at one time very common. After being inserted, they were held in place by pivots and ligatures, springs, and upon bases. The pivot method also included the use of screws. Lig- atures for fastening teeth were made of silk-worm gut,— which, now so common in surgery, was used for this pur- pose?, perhaps, two hundred years ago,—of gold wire, etc. The method by ligatures is the earliest of all. Human teeth have always been more or less expensive if fresh, few people being willing to part with sound teeth except for a money consideration. In 1784 a Philadelphia dentist offered, in an advertisement, two guineas each for sound front teeth. Animal Teeth.—These were largely used, being held in place the same way as above, the principal objection being that it was difficult, often impossible, to match human with animal teeth. It was found, also, that the latter decayed very much more easily. Hippopotamus-ivory.—This was at one time very ex- tensively used. It was carved into the shape of the miss- ing teeth, and was held upon a base; or it was carved into shape as a base upon which to rest human teeth. Most often it was used as a base lor pivoting. Not infrequently a block was carved out which represented gum, teeth, and all, and partial dentures of this complex type were often so deftly fashioned as to be very realistic, the part represent- ing the gum being colored. Unfortunately no dye nor color in the mouth could be made permanent. Elephant-ivory.—This was used for the cheaper grades of work, being less durable. Bone.—Bone was still more objectionable, and was used for only the cheapest work. Artificial porcelain teeth were first introduced in France in 1774 and in America in 1817. Those which were first
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