FOR REDUCING IRREGULARITY. 215 



of silk ligatures passed through holes made in the 

 plate, and tied over the teeth ; or by means of a 

 spiral spring, one end of which was attached to 

 the plate, and the other, by means of a ligature, 

 tied to the tooth, whereby a constant tension was 

 kept up. 



For the purpose of drawing a tooth forward, a 

 stout gold bar was made, and kept some little 

 distance in front of the tooth, to be brought for- 

 ward ; the ends of the bar being tied to the back 

 teeth, silk ligatures were passed round the tooth, 

 and through holes in the bars, drawing the tooth 

 forward. 



Occasionally, a piece of Ijone was riveted to 

 the bar, resting on the molar teeth, in order to 

 keep the opposing teeth from impeding the moving 

 of the misplaced tooth ; or a gold cap was fitted 

 over the molar tooth for the same purpose, made, 

 independently of the bar, similar to one Mr. Har- 

 rison has most kindly lent me ; then the bar was 

 united to caps on both sides of the mouth, which 

 had the advantage of keeping it much more steady. 



These methods were pursued for some time with 

 occasional modifications, until a plan was brought 

 out for forcing a tooth forward, by the occlusion 

 of the jaw on an inclined plate of gold soldered to 

 a piece capping the opposing teeth. This plan 

 appears to have come into use, together with 

 other methods ; and we occasionally see bars or 

 plates similar to these fitted to the palate or the 



