THE TEETH. 95 



century published the case of Mr. Malory, his grandfather 

 by the mother's side. This very old gentleman led, testifies 

 the doctor, an active, but sober and temperate life: loved 

 hunting, a gun, and a hawk ; was very regular in his eating 

 and drinking ; did make three meals a day, but did only eat 

 flesh at dinner; drank every morning near a pint of good soft 

 ale ; then walked in his orchard as many turns as did make a 

 mile; seldom drank wine, but when he did 'twas canary: did 

 this in the even of his old age. His eyesight was so good 

 that, when between eighty and ninety, he could take up a pin 

 from the ground. His stomach never failed him to the last, 

 and what concerns us most when this old gentleman was 

 past eighty-one, his hair did change somewhat dark, and cer- 

 tain of his teeth coming out they were replaced by new ones, 

 and so did they continue to come until he had a new set quite 

 round. He delighted in all manner of sweetmeats; used in 

 the morning to spread honey upon his bread ; at other times 

 to strew sugar over his bread-and-butter. He loved to have 

 all his sauces very sweet, especially his mutton, hashed or 

 boiled, or any other sort of meat that would bear sauces. 



The utility of teeth needs no expatiation ; yet they are not 

 in most cases treated judiciously, nor with the respect the 

 memory of < gone once for ever gone' demands. Amongst 

 the evil habits most to be reprobated is the use of hard tooth- 

 brushes. The opinion prevails in some circles of injudicious 

 people that some latent virtue, some strengthening power, re- 

 sides in the bristles of a hard toothbrush. A greater error 

 than this it would be difficult to imagine. The teeth, though 

 bony, are organised. They have to receive their due blood- 

 supply from vessels of the gums. When, from any cause, the 

 blood-supply is cut off, then do the teeth loosen in their 

 sockets, decay, and ache. Far from hardness being a quality 

 desirable, the bristles of a toothbrush cannot weU be too soft. 

 If hard, they infallibly denude the gums after a time. When 

 this has come to pass, decay and pain are not far off. In 



