636 
Gvey because it isthe work of a professionat 
mas, | and “has: reference, » prospectivély as 
wellas ‘retrospectively, 10: hiscowm profes- 
sional practice) to. be read with) caution. 
Tor we must never forget, even in attend- 
ing. toa statement of facts, the difference 
between. an interested advocate and a dis- 
interested witness. We say not this with 
any view to the impeachment of Mr. C.’s 
integrity. . But it is not possible, in 
the very nature of things, that a profes- 
sional man should not have some bias of 
partiality to the habitudes of his own prac- 
tice. The best feelings of integrity (for 
every honest practitioner pursues in his 
practice what he thinks the best system) 
have, in fact, as ‘direct a tendency as the 
less honourable, and yet very pardonabie 
propensities of professional distinction, to 
give our judgments this bias; and Mr. C. 
will not affect to deny, that this publication 
is sent into the world, in aconsiderable de- 
gree, as a professional advertisement. This 
is no reproach ; and we sincerely hope that 
it will serve his: purpose; for many of his 
observations, both original and quoted, are 
judicious and correct, and shew him to 
bave used his understanding as well as his 
implements in the exercise of his calling. 
But we cannot go with him in every part 
of\the subject; and there are more particu- 
lars) than one comnected, or which ought 
to»'be connected, with the science of the 
dentist,| which, if our space would allow, 
We thinks we could shew that not only he, 
but his brother dentists in general, have not 
looked into ‘with ‘sufficient depth and pre- 
cision: sume of them of so much. impor- 
tance, in other points of view than those 
which generally enter into the considera- 
tien'of the dentist, that we shall probabjy 
thinksit well to make them the subject of 
fatare disquisition in another: department 
ofrour miscellany. We cannot but notice, 
howeyer, in this place, one of those in- 
stances in which attachment to his own 
radde of practice, in the supply of deficient 
teeth, has rendered him, however uninten- 
tionally, somewhat unjust in hisappreciation 
of sanother imede’ of supplying them. We 
should premise that,-to the extent to which 
itis practicable, we perfectly accord with 
Mr-»C. on the propriety of grafting natural 
téeth upon: the Stumps of suchas” have 
been broken or decayed; though we cannot 
quite ‘comprehend show the sawing and 
filing: off the old:tooth, and boring through 
thernetve; to make a socket for the gold 
pivot, nby-which\the new one is °to He 
fastened an 3to the stump, can’ be’ per- 
formed witheut giving pain. We should 
sion the contrary, from) experience, that 
it is em /operation stmder which’ it requires 
some fortitade for the patient hot toshrink. 
We also! agree: entitely arith eMr. C.' in’ his 
ebjéctions fo Wasteningy artificial teeth by 
strmgs’ ands tigatoresssand’ should even re- 
commend the preferencesof any inconve- 
prone on disfigiremelt arising’ from partial 
Review of: Literature. 
deficiencies, though it were even of a front 
tooth; toosuchia mode of remedy: for the 
strings will inevitably destroy theother teeth 
to whieh theyiare attached. »\Gold wire is 
muuch less injurious than any species of twine; 
but every kind» of ligature ought to be 
avoided. Itis'to partial deficiences; however, 
of one or two teeth alone, and where there 
is a sound stump remaining, that>the*pro- 
cess of grafting can be applied.» But when 
this author speaks | of ‘composition: \teeth 
(p- 69), as ** looking in the mouth like 
those of figures ona porcelain jar,/sof “the 
clatter of a China-woman’s basket,” of 
“bakers turning dentists,’ and of render- 
ing artificial teeth ‘as common ashot:muf- 
fins ;” we must say that he shews'his good 
taste as little,—as he does his‘acquaintanee 
with the best examples of: this: mode 
of supplying extensive vacancies;;when he 
talks (p. 70) of “ the impossibility of: fit- 
ting these crockery teeth properly to: the 
gums,’’ and of the “peculiar severity” of 
the pain and inconvenience occasioned by 
them; and ofthe composition’not: admit- 
ting of any further alterations after the 
model has once been. laid aside &es': We 
have had the misfortune of having: had 
some experience in this respect:' having 
been successively under the hands of several 
dentists: of reputation, and’ tried: -artificial 
teeth of various materials; and we do not 
seruple to say, that we have found the 
composition teeth, or “ crockéry-ware,”* as 
Mr. Clark calls them, made, ‘heretofore, 
by M. De Chement, and now by his part- 
ner, or successor, Mr. Mortimer, of Frith- 
street, Soho, to have been tio more painful at 
first, than every new set of teeth, of whaf- 
eyer description, has always proved to: be ; 
while they unite permanently more adyan- 
tages, accompanied with fewer inconveni- 
ences, and are liable to fewer objec- 
tions, than any other we arte acquainted 
with. . We have neither tried; nor know 
any person who has, the expedient’of natu- 
ral teeth fixed upon artificial gums: of gold; 
but,=to say nothing of its being quite as 
* difficult to take a model ” upon which a 
plate of gold is to be fashioned, “to: such 
exactness as {9 givenopain,”’ as itis to’take 
a model to which the composition teeth 
are so to be fitted,—of what thickness and 
weight must that gold plate be, or of what 
length the teeth, so as properly to fill the 
vacancy, when as frequently happens, the 
alveolar processes or sockets, as well as*the 
teeth, have disappeared? And yet thatden- 
tist is unfit to’ be trusted with the mouth 
of sucha patient, who is not aware, that the 
artificial teeth ought to sustain the j shay in 
exactly the same position in’ whie 
ginally it was whan all the: neta: ‘teeth 
were perfeet. 2 
Upon the wiih) bes: of Mrv€. ts. “ Artificial 
Palates,” »we eannot’ speak with any de- 
eisiom: for we have had no opportunity of 
examining them; and neither description 
nor plates ean fully “exemplify their struc- 
ture 
