The Yazoo Democrat. [volume] (Yazoo City, Miss.) 1858-18??, 1860-02-11
A TOUGH STORY.

1he following story is told by that re-
nowned wag, John Phoenix, of the Califor.
MIA Pioneer. The reader will see that it
records the verdict of ''Coroner's Inquest"
and in other particulars bears strong re.
sembance to some of the tough stories
which have been circulated end generally
believed:
DIR. Tushmaker was never regularly bred
as physician or surgeon, but he possessed
naturally strong mechanical genius and
fine appetite, and finding bis 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 inhsbit,
ants 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 wheels in the
back teeth, for the more perfect masticalion
of food, and he claimed to be the original
discoverer of that method of filling cavities
with a k;nk of pltty-which becoming hard
directly causes the tooth to ache so grievous>
ly that II has to be pulled, thereby giving
the dentist two successive fees for the same
job.
Iusbmakcr was one day seated in bis Of
nee IN the city of Boston, Mass, when
stout old fellow named Ryes presented him
self to have back tooth drawn.
The dentist seated his patient in the chair
of torture, and opening bis mouth discover
ed there an enormous tooth on the right hand
side, about as large, as he afterwards ex.
pressed it, "as Polyglot Bible" shall
have trouble with this tooth, thought Tush-
maker, but he elapped on lis heaviest forceps
and pulled. 1t didn't come. Then he tried
the turnscrow, exering his utmost strength,
but the tooth wouldn't come.
Go away from here" said Tushmaker to
Byles "and return in week and I'll draw
that tooth out for you, or | will know tho
reason why
ByIes got up, clapped handkerchief to
his jaw and put forth.
Tho dentist went to work and in three
days invented an instrument which be was
confident, would pull anything. 1t was
combination of the, lever, wheel and axle,
incline plane, wedge and screw. The cast,
ings were made and the machine put up in
the otbcc, over an iron chair rendered per-
tectly stationary by iron rods going down
into the foundations of the granite build.
ing.
In a week old Byles returned be was
clamped into the iron chair, the forceps con.
nected With the machine attached firmly to
the tooth, and Tushmaker stationing bin.
self in the rear, took hold of lever four
feet long.
lie turned it slghtly-Old ByIes gave a
groan and lifted bis right leg. Another
turn, another groan, the higher went Old
By les right leg again.
what do you raise your leg fory" asked
the doctor.
Il cant help it," said the patient.
weir said Tushmaker, "the tooth is
bound 10 come now"
He turned the lever olepr round, with
sudden jerk, and snapped Old Byles head
clean and clear off bis shoulders, leaving
space Of four in .hes between the several
partsl
They had post norton examination and
the roots Of the tooth we're found extending
down the right side, through the right leg,
and turned up IN two prongs directly undrr
the sole of the right foot.
The juryIthOught SO too, but they found
the roots much decayed, and FIVE surgeons
swearing that modification would have en-
,sued in few months, Tushmaker was clear
ed on verdict of justi6sble homicide.
He was little shy of that instrument af-
terwards; but one day an old lady feeble
and tiaccid, came to have a tooth drawn. and
thinking it would come out very easy Tush-
maker concluded, just by way Of variety, to
try the machine.
de did so, and at the first turn drew the
old lady's skeleton completely and entirely
from her body, leaving her mass of culver.
ing jelly in the chair.
Tushmaker took her home in piloT
case. She lived seven years after that and
they called her the "India Rubber Woman"
She had suffered terribly with the rbcuma.
nsm, but after this occurrence never had
any pain in her bones. The dentist kept
them in glass case.
After this the machine was sold to the
contractor of the Boston Custom House. and
1T was found that child three years of age
could BY single turn of the screw, raise
stone weighing twenty five tons.
Smaller ones were made on the same
principle and sold to the keepers of hotels and
restaurants They were advautageously used
for bouiDg turkeys.
There is no moral at all to this story, and
it is possible that the circumstance NAV
have become slightly exaggerated Of course
there can be no doubt of the truth Of the
man incidents.
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