ON THE MEANS BEST ADAPTED FOE 

 EXCLUDING MOISTUEE FEOM TEETH 

 DUEING THE OPEEATION OF PLUG- 

 GINa. 



Read February 2nd, 1857. 

 By JOHN TOMES, F.RS. 



There are but few engaged in operating who have 

 not felt the advantage of excluding all moisture 

 from the gold or other material used in filling 

 teeth ; and there are many who believe that if 

 gold-foil becomes wetted with saliva when the plug 

 is partly formed, the operation will eventually prove 

 unsuccessful. If the solidity of the plug depends 

 upon the adhesion of the duplicatures of the foil to 

 each other, this is most unquestionably true ; but if 

 the density of the filling depends upon wedging the 

 successive folds of foil introduced between each 

 other, it then admits of question, whether the ad- 

 mission of a small amount of moisture acts so 

 destructively. In those cases where the crystalKne 

 gold is used, the plug will be totally destroyed if 

 the saliva is allowed to run in during the progress 

 of the operation. 



The urgent necessity of keeping the tooth imder 



