88 EMPLOYMENT OF ELECTRICITY 



may be impeded, and failure be the consequence. 

 The plan which I have heard mentioned, of 

 making contact by the simple action of closing 

 the forceps, appears to be open to objections, 

 since the current must necessarily pass through 

 the tooth before the instrument has perfectly closed 

 upon it, or can be satisfactorily adjusted, and the 

 patient may be alarmed or inconvenienced by the 

 electrical sensations preceding the operation. 



It is necessary also that the operator should 

 be insulated either from the forceps or the patient. 

 If it were possible to operate with one hand with- 

 out touching the patient with the other, this would 

 be of no consequence, but if the forceps held by the 

 operator be not insulated, a current would pass 

 through him to the patient whenever he touches 

 the individual with the other hand. The simplest 

 way of insulating is to wear a silk, cotton, or 

 thread glove on either hand, taking care to keep 

 it dry. JSTone of these substances have sufficient 

 conducting power to transmit a shock of the 

 strength requisite for dental purposes. As some, 

 however, object to operate with a glove, the same 

 end will be accomplished by covering the forceps 

 with silk ribbon or velvet, or even cotton tape, 

 or by slipping India-rubber tube over each handle 

 of the forceps, covering the portions of the metal 

 which the tube would not cover, with ribbon, &c. 

 If the operator be an electrician, however, he will 

 see, that by the employment of the spring board 



