The Trinity journal., 1856-02-16

story is told by that renowned wag John
Phoenix, of the California Pioneer. The
reader will see that it records the verdict of
a coroner's inquest, and in other particulars
bears strong resemblance to some of the
stories which our opponents have circulated
against the republican party in the States
DR.. Tushmaker was never regularly bred as
u physician or surgeon, but he possessed nat
urally, a strong mechanical genius, and a
fine appetite; and finding his teeth of great
service in gratifying the latter propensity
he concluded that he could do more good in
the world, and create more real happiness
therein, by putting the teeth Of the inhabi-
tants in good order, than in any other way !;
so he became dentist. He was the man
that first invented the method of placing
small cog-whcels in the back teeth, for the
more perfect mastication of food; and he
claimed to be the original discoverer of that
method of filling cavities with kind of put
ty, which, becoming hard directly, causes
the tooth to ache so grievously, thut it has
to be pulled, thus giving the dentist two sue
cessive fees for the same job.
Tushmaker was one day seated in his Of
flee, in the city of Boston, Massachusetts,
when a stout old fellow named Byles, pre-
sented himself to have tooth drawn.
The dentist seated him in the chair of tor
ture, and opening his mouth discovered
there an enormous tooth, on the right hand
side about as large, as he afterwards ex-
pressed it, 'as small Polyglot Bible 4
shall have trouble with this TOOTH thought
Tushmaker; but he clapped his heaviest for
ceps and pulled. 1t didn't come Then he
tried the turn-screw, exerting his utmost
strength, but the tooth wouldn't stir.
Go away from here said Tushmakcr to
Byles, and return here in week. and will
draw that tooth out, or know the reason
why
Byles got up, clapped handkerchief to
his jaw, and put forth.
The dentist went to work, and in three
days invented an instrument which, he was
confident would draw anything. 1t was a
combination Of the lever pulley, wheel and
axle, inclined plane, wedge and screw. The
castings were made, and the machine put up
in the office, over an iron chair, rendered
perfectly stationary by iron rods going down
into the foundation of the granite building.
In q week old Byles returned; he was
clampcd into the iron chair, and the forceps
connected with the machine attached firmly
to the tooth, and Tushmaker, stationing him
self in the rear, took hold of lever four
feet long.
He turned it slightly-old Bylcs gave a
groan, and lifted his right leg Another
turn, another groan, and higher went old
Byes' right leg
What do you raise your leg for? asked
the doctor
Il can't help it, said the patient.
We'll, said Tushmaker; the tooth is
bound to come now
He turned the lever clear round with q
sudden jerk, that snapped old Byles' head
clean and clear from his shoulders, leaving a
space of four inches between the several
partsl
They had post mOrtem eXamination-the
roots Of the tooth were found extending
down the right side, through the right leg,
and turned up in two prongs directly under
the sole of the right foot
NO wonder, said TuSh., that he raised
his leg
The jury thought so too, but they found
the roots much decayed, and five surgeons
swearing that modification would have en-
sued in few months, Tushmaker was cleared
on a verdict Of justifabe homicide
He was a little shy of that instrument af-
tcrwards; but one day an old lady, feeble
and hacd, came in, to have tooth drawn,
and thinking it would come out very easy,
Tushmakcr concluded, just by way of varie-
ty to try the machine.
He did so; and at the first turn drew the
old lady's skeleton completely and entirely
from her body, leaving her mass of quivcr-
ing jelly in the chair!
Tushmaker took her home in pillow-case.
She lived seven years after that and they
called her the India Rubber woman" She
had suffered terribly with the rheumatism,
but after this occurrence never had pain
in her bones The dentist kept them in
glass case.
After this the machine was sold to the