ANCIENT AND MODERN DENTISTRY 509 



dentistry in the year 1886; its record for dental purposes has 

 been by no means unchequered, with the result that a variety of 

 chemical substances have been introduced, of which the best 

 known is probably " novocaine," which answers the same 

 purpose, and is less dangerous when injected into the gums and 

 often enables teeth to be extracted quite painlessly. 



Dentistry may be said, without fear of contradiction, to have 

 made as much and possibly more progress than any other branch 

 of surgery, though, as is not unusual, we find many of our modern 

 improvements were by no means unthought of in the early days 

 of Greece and Rome. 



