The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-03-17

VISIT TO TooTH FAcToRY.-Under this
head, the Boston Christian Register has long
article The tooth factory here spoken of, is
that of Doctor Moreton, at West Needham, Mass
The following is the process of making those
useful anaesthetic agents
Pure crystalized quartz is cacined by a mode
ate heat. When taken from the fire it is thrown
Immediately into cold water, which breaks the
rocks into numberless pieces. The larger
pieces are then broken up into smaller ones, and
the whole, when reduced to proper size, put
into a mill, which is itself made of quartz. The
mill Is turned by steam power. Here the pieces
of calcined quartz are ground up into powder
very much after the fashion of grinding Indian
corn meal. Next, a variety of spar, which is
free from all impurities, is ground up in like
manner into fine powder Artificial teeth are
composed Of two parts, called the body and the
enamel. The body of the tooth is made first ;
the enamel is added last.
The next step is to mix together nearly equal
parts, by weight of the powdered spar and
quartz. This mixture is again ground to greater
6neness. Certain metallic oxides are now added
to it for the purpose of producing an appropriate
color, and water and clay to make it plastic and
to give it consistcnce. This mixture resembles
soft paste. The paste, whom thus prepared, Is
Transferred to the hands of females, of whom he
saw no less than fifteen engaged in filling moulds
with il, or otherwise working upon it, After
the paste has been moulded into a proper shape,
two small platina rivets are inserted near the
base of each tooth for the purpose of fastening
it, (by the dentisD to plate in the mouth
They are now transferred to a furnace where
they are "cured" as it is technically called that
Is half baked or hardened. The teeth are now
ready to receive the enamel which is done by
the women it consists of spar and quartz,
which has been ground, pulverized and reduced
to the shape of a soft paste or semi liquid. In
this state it is easily spread over the halfbaked
body of the tooth, by means of delicate brush.
When this is accomplished, but one more step
is required The teeth must be subjected to an
intense heat for the purpose of thoroughly bak-
ing them. They are put into ovens, lined with
platina and heated by a furnace in which the ne
cessary heat ia obtained. The baking process
is superintendent by n workman, who occasion
ally removes tooth to ascertain whether those
within have been sufficiently baked. This is in
dcated by the appearance of the tooth. When
they are done, the teeth are removed and placed
In jars or boxes ready for use. An experiment,
which we made, tested to our satisfaction the
hardness of these artificial teeth. We saw one
of them taken Unfortunately from jar full,
and driven without breaking into pine board,
till it was even with the surface Of the wood.
The Register expresses It's satisfaction at the
neat, orderly, and intelligent appearance of the
females, employed in the mandatory, The
room in which they labor at their tasks has .
cheerful look which is not often seen II is not
altogether inappropriate, by the way, that wo-
men should be employed in manufacturing that,
which forms such an essential part Of the organ
of speech--an organ, which she, herself uses
80 freely and 80 gracefully.