A History of Dentistry from the most Ancient Times until the end of the Eighteenth Century. Vincenzo Guerini
for after having drawn out the needle, it is usual to cauterize the site of the puncture with the so-called “moxa,” that is, with a kind of vegetable wool obtained from the leaves and dried tips of the artemisia. One compresses this substance very tightly between the fingers into the shape of a small cone. One next applies a small coin with a hole in the centre upon the site of election; the cone of moxa is placed on the hole in the coin and lighted at its top. As the cone is very compact, it burns slowly enough, without developing excessive heat, so that, according to Ten Rhyne,29 who was an enthusiast for this mode of cure, “the epidermis is drawn without violence and rises gently into a small blister. The moxa, whilst burning, draws out the peccant humors visibly, absorbing them in such a manner that they are totally consumed without destroying the skin itself.”
The application of the moxa is not as painful as might be thought, and even children support it without much crying. The number of times for repeating the operation varies according to the malady and the site of application, etc. Thus, in the point kin-tche, which we have mentioned once before, the cauterization is generally repeated seven times, but in certain cases the number may be brought up to 200.
There are certain points of election for which puncturing alone is prescribed without subsequent cauterization; in other instances, the puncturing is held to be unnecessary or even dangerous; one, therefore, only applies the moxa in these cases.30
In Japan, the moxa was still more in use than in China. According to Ten Rhyne, from the remotest times the moxa has been the best and almost the sole mode of treatment for illness in Japan, and was regarded not only as an excellent remedy, but also as an excellent preservative; so much so that even convicts condemned to perpetual imprisonment had permission to go out every six months to undergo this cure.
Dental affections also were especially treated with the moxa, and, judging by what Ten Rhyne says on the subject, it would seem that this caustic, when used against toothache, was usually applied in the region of the mental foramen.31
CHAPTER IV.
CUSTOMS RELATING TO THE TEETH AMONG DIFFERENT PRIMITIVE PEOPLES.
Joseph Murphy, in his book, A Natural History of the Human Teeth,32 says that the natives of Hindostan, especially the Brahmins or priests of Brahma, take extreme care of their teeth. Every morning they rub them for about an hour with a small twig of the fig tree, at the same time that, turned toward the rising sun, they recite their prayers and invoke Heaven’s blessing on themselves and their families. As this custom is prescribed in the most ancient codes and religious writings of India, it reverts, without doubt, to the remotest ages, and, therefore, demonstrates the great importance that this people, and particularly the Brahmin caste, has ever attributed to beauty and cleanliness of the teeth. Murphy affirms that the Brahmins, in general, have magnificent teeth; and that this depends, certainly in great part, on the assiduous and scrupulous care that they take of them.
From the writings of their ancient poets one also deduces in what high esteem the people of India held beautiful teeth, considering them one of the principal ornaments of the face. The lover, says Murphy, never neglected, in enumerating the beauties of his lady-love, to praise the whiteness and regularity of her teeth.
Among some of the people of India, when the second dentition is completed, it is customary to separate the teeth one from the other with a file; we do not know, however, whether this is done as an embellishment or with some other object—perhaps, as suggested by Joseph Linderer,33 to prevent caries.
Anyhow, this and other customs in vogue in various parts of India and in many islands of Oceanica demonstrate that these peoples attribute great importance to the teeth.
The substituting of gold teeth for those missing has been in use in Java from exceedingly remote times.34
Dyeing the teeth black is considered a great embellishment among many races of Asia and Oceanica; this operation is sometimes preceded by another, viz., the filling up of the interdental spaces very cleverly with gold leaf.35
In Sumatra and the neighboring islands many women file their teeth down to the gums; others file them into points; or partially remove the enamel so as to render it easier to apply the black dye; this being held to be the height of elegance. Men of high rank and condition dye their upper teeth black and cover the lower ones with fine gold plates, which in a full light produces what they consider a fine contrast. The natives of other islands gild the upper central incisors and dye the others black.36
In Japan, the married women may easily be distinguished from the others by their black and shining teeth. The coloring preparation they use to blacken the teeth is composed of urine, raspings of iron, and a substance called saki. This mixture has a most unpleasant odor, and if applied on the skin acts as a caustic. Its action on the teeth is so powerful that they do not regain their whiteness even after a lapse of years. In applying this substance, and also for some time after, the women take care to preserve their gums and lips from its effects, as it would otherwise cause them to assume a dark blue tint.37 The inhabitants of the Pelew Islands make use of the wild thistle and shell chalk to blacken the teeth. It is also the custom to blacken the teeth among the inhabitants of Tonkin and Siam, the women of the Maria Islands, and the single ladies of Java.
Some of the peoples of Eastern India plane their teeth down to an even level; and from the habit of masticating areca nuts mixed with chalk and other substances, their lips and teeth are dyed red. At Macassar the natives have their teeth dyed red; they also substitute missing teeth by artificial ones made of gold, silver, or tombac.38
Negroes, especially those of Abyssinia, very often file their incisors into points to resemble the form of the canines; this is in order to give themselves an air of greater ferocity.
Murphy relates that the inhabitants of one of the islands of the Sound make an incision in the upper lip in a parallel line with the mouth, and large enough to allow the tongue to pass. After the margins have healed they have a great resemblance to the lips. This kind of artificial mouth is made to support a shell, carved in such a manner as to produce the effect of a row of teeth.
The natives of the Sandwich Islands sacrifice their front teeth to conciliate the favor of their god Eatoa.39
Among the natives of New South Wales, it is the custom when a youth reaches virility to knock out his front teeth with a stone; this operation being carried out by the kuradshis or wizards.
The savages of Peru are also in the habit of making the front teeth fall out; the reason of the custom is that the space thus made is regarded by them as an embellishment.40
CHAPTER V.
THE GREEKS.
An ancient Greek physician—Asklepios, afterward called Æsculapius41—by the ability he displayed in the art of healing, so impressed the minds of the simple and uncultured at that primitive epoch as to be held in repute rather as a god than as a man. Not only was he held to be the author of wonderful cures, but it was also affirmed that he had resuscitated the dead; no doubt from his having in some case or other of apparent death restored the individual to consciousness by the assistance he rendered him. Exaggeration, so natural to ignorant minds, afterward did the rest, and magnified the healing and restoring powers of Æsculapius to such an extent that it is not to be wondered at that he should have been looked upon as a divine being. With the lapse of time, various traditions formed around his name, among which there was, however, finally such discrepancy that the popular voice spoke no more of one, but of many Æsculapii,42 and to one of these was attributed, among other merits, that of having invented the probe and the art of bandaging wounds, while another was held to be the inventor of purgatives and of the extraction of teeth.
According, therefore, to these traditions, dental