S2 MY LIFi: 



number of broken stumps which required to lie extracted 

 preparatory to having a complete set of artificials. Entirely 



forgetting his objections, which, in fact, I bad hardly believed 



to be real, after making an appointment I asked him to get 

 a doctor to administer nitrous-oxide, as I could not stand the 

 pain of three or four extractions of stumps of molars in 

 succession. Tin's thoroughly enraged him. He wrote me a 

 most violent letter, saying he could not continue to be the 

 friend of a man who could ask him to do such a thing, 

 and gave me the name of an acquaintance of his who had 

 no such scruples and whose work was thoroughly good. 

 And that was the last communication I ever had from Dr. 

 Purland. 



The dentist to whom he recommended me was really a 

 good workman, and made me a set of teeth which I wore 

 almost constantly for thirty years, and which I have never 

 had equalled since. While going about lecturing, and 

 especially when going to America in 1886, I had new sets 

 made, and I think I have had altogether four complete sets 

 besides the first, but not one of them has been comfortable 

 or even wearable without great pain ; with none could I eat 

 satisfactorily or speak distinctly, and though I pointed out to 

 each new dentist how well these old ones fitted me, and how 

 comfortable they were, and begged each of them to make the 

 new ones as nearly as possible the same shape, yet each one 

 made them differently, and some were so totally unlike that, 

 when placed side by side, no one would believe they could have 

 been made for the same mouth. My experience of modern 

 dentists is that they all want to improve upon nature, and 

 care nothing for the comfort of those who are to use the 

 teeth. 



I will occupy the remainder of this chapter with a few 

 particulars of my relations with persons of some eminence, 

 but with whom I had very few opportunities of personal 

 intercourse. 



I made the acquaintance of Mr. Samuel Butler, the author 

 of "Erewhon," through my friend Miss Buckley, at whose 



