IN DENTAL OPERATIONS. 87 



the nerve of the tooth during the operation of 

 extraction ; and this is most readily accomplished 

 by making the forceps, or instrument in contact 

 with the tooth, form one terminal of the conductor, 

 and completing the circuit by a brass handle held 

 by the patient. To accomplish this, the following 

 particulars must be attended to. It is absolutely 

 necessary that the wire from the battery which ia 

 connected with the instrument to be applied, 

 should be in perfect contact with the clean sur- 

 face of the metal terminating on the tooth. Too 

 much importance cannot be attached to this. It 

 may be accomplished in the following modes. A 

 piece of vulcanized India-rubber tubing about one 

 inch long may be slipped on over one of the handles, 

 and under this, the end of one of the conducting 

 wires may be thrust. Or a piece of flattened 

 brass wire, about two inches long, terminating in a 

 small binding screw, may be used to slip under 

 the India-rubber clip; and to this binding screw 

 the wire from the machine may be attached. If 

 the handles be covered with silk ribbon for the 

 purpose of insulation, then the wire may be thrust 

 under the ribbon ; but this is not likely to secure 

 so good a contact as when the India-rubber is 

 employed. 



Again, a hole may be drilled in the handle of 

 the forceps, &c., into which the end of the con- 

 ducting wire may be hooked. In this case the 

 touching surfaces must be clean, or the cmTent 



