Introductory lecture on mechanical dentistry : written for delivery at the Sheffield Medical School at the opening of the session in the year 1864 / by Mr. Gillam Moseley, dental surgeon, 203, Bath Buildings, Sheffield.

  • Moseley, Gillam.
Date:
[1864]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Introductory lecture on mechanical dentistry : written for delivery at the Sheffield Medical School at the opening of the session in the year 1864 / by Mr. Gillam Moseley, dental surgeon, 203, Bath Buildings, Sheffield. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Leeds Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Leeds Library.

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    bone and ivory teeth, which were fastened to the firm teeth by the aid of gold or silver wire, silk or flax. Their mode, too, of keeping the month open for any length of time for the removal of swellings, tris- mus, &c., is primitive, and not to be so much admired on that account as it may be for its efficiency; for we find them using wooden wedges placed firmly between the upper and lower jaw, which were then fastened to the teeth with iron wire. Amongst several others who claimed to be amongst the first mechanical surgeons to adopt a complete set of artificial teeth for the upper and lower jaw is Antoine Neirk, who carved them out of the hippopotamus’s bone. When placing in only partial sets of three or four, he adopted the plan of tying them in to the firmer teeth by ligatures of gold, silver, iron, or silk. Even in my own practice I have seen several sets of artificial teeth maintained in the mouth by similar means to those adopted three hundred years ago. A clever German physician, practising in Frankfort about the year 1700, was one of the first to introduce the artificial palate or obturator, which he made not only of bone, but also introduced the use of gold and silver, which were, no doubt, rude in their manufacture, but, as a first step to cure a great de- formity, these products was a valuable invention. The great mechanical difficulties a dental surgeon meets with in his practice are sometimes sources of very grave anxiety to him in his efforts to overcome them, more especially when he sees some patient with great congenital or constitutional defect in the palate bones, which, preventing either proper mastication or articulation, makes life almost insupportable. These are cases for the exertion of his art, and, if he properly understands it, he will either use some of the means suggested above, or, adopting those of a later period, will soon be gratified by hearing the gratitude of