Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Tin foil and its combinations for filling teeth. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by the Augustus C. Long Health Sciences Library at Columbia University and Columbia University Libraries/Information Services, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the the Augustus C. Long Health Sciences Library at Columbia University and Columbia University.
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![foil in the United States, as he began the manu- facture of gold foil at Hartford in 1812. Several years ago a radical change came about in the preparation of tin foil, for which the manu- facturer should have his share of the credit, even if the dentist did ask for something better, for the quality depends largely upon the kind and condi- tion of the tin used and on the method of manufac- ture. For making tin foil for filling teeth, the purest Banca tin that can be o])tained is used. The tin is melted in a crucible under a cover of powdered charcoal. It is then ®ast into a bar and rolled to the desired thickness, so that if No. 6 foil is to be made, a piece one and one-half (i^) inches square would weigh nine grains. This ribbon is then cut into lengths of about four feet, and spread on a smooth board slanted, so that the end rests in a vat of clean water. Then apply to the exposed surface of the ribbon diluted muriatic acid, and immediately wash Avith a strong solution of ammonia. Turn the ribbon and treat the other side in the same way. It is then washed and rubbed dry. The object of using the acid is to remove stains and whiten the tin, and the ammonia is used to neutralize the effect of the acid. The strips are then cut into pieces one and a half 4](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b2123100x_0047.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
