Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1870-05-23
10 the Editor OF the Alexandria Gazette:

10 the Editor OF the Alexandria Gazette:
As an item published in your paper few
DAYS ago concerning the mercury contained IN
dental plates made of India Rubber" has at
tractcd some attention, beg leave to offer a
few statements with regard to the same, to re-
leve the minds of the very large GLASS OF per-
| sons in this community who having been un,
| fortunate enough to lose the organs provided
tor them by nature, and who being dependent
on the dentist for substitutes, have been fur,
| nished with teeth mounted on plates mado oil
India Rubber. l say tho very large class,
for it is doubtless true that nine tcnths Of those
wearing artificial substitutes for the natural
| teeth have rubber plates
The mercury so-caled, is not mercury 10
fact, any more than cider is vinegar, or starch
is sugar, for while il is compound Of mercury,
vet any chemist knows that the poisonous quail
ties Of many simple bodies are altered or rem
dercd inert by chemical manipulation. Yer
milion" is the preparation necessarily used by
the manufacturers. OF India rubber TO give
that article the ordinary red tint. This Is tn"
"sulphurct OF mercury" Zig S, contain
inp couiyuIent proportions of mercury and sui
nhur, an insolubIe compound under ordinary
circumstances. The quantity used in an ordl-
nary set of teeth is from 50 to 60 grains, about
ono fourth or one fifth of the bulk OF the plate.
: Mi. is combined with the rubber. while the
l,ttcr is in q plastic condition, and the CON-
Wound hardened by the dentist as 1t Is worked
m by him. Whom thus hardened the result
inr product known as "|uIcantc Is d lirm'
tough substance. familiar TO tue pu0!c IN
another form and color, as used IN hanueS lot
knives, combs and the thousand uses 70 "hlch
: this very extraordinary and most useful article
is devoted.
We have then in rubber dental plate. about
> on an average IS grains Of suIphuTc. OF mer'
curv firmly combined with rubber, IN such
form that it cannot be reduced to the metallic
or soluble condition. except by degree OF heat
:. sufficient to sublime the mercury, (which takes
place at CO. degrees T., and this OF course
Z could not occur in the mouth, when IL IS re
: lncmbcrcd that water bolls al PIP M other
- change can occur but this and this leaves but
. one other source Of danger OF mercurlal poison
. ipg, and that would be from The wearing away
of the plate and the consequent swallowing OF
r. the particles thus worn of. As these plates
II last for from ten to fifteen years and then do
j not wear out but fail IRON some molecular
- change in the rubber, it will be apparent that
- this danger Is not great. have repeatedly
examined rubber plates that have been worn
for q wear, and found the origins! polish not
:, worn oft.
l. trust that what have thus hastily write"
will put at case some who have ianricd them
,. selves 10 danger Of being poisoned "a danger
, altogether in the Imagination, or invented BY
>; Interested parties. The fact that cjuutltas
u thousands Of persons OF various ages and sexes
&c have been wearing such plates for years with
u comfort, il L sufficient answer 10 tAii question:
-, OF poisoning
!" 1t may not BIZ arliss 10y the way 10 aid ihai
i great many good people really do not kno"
j. that they are taking mercury when they are
:. and blue pills, calomc aud tho Ike are swal
u lowed under high sounding names very oiten
u while the good lady who rrescrlbr7 Ayers pin
or SsS's thinks these ale Harmless EeretahI'
. compounds it is perhaps as we'll, l0r rhiSician:
=, know that mercury Is yet rs 1t was named '''s
~ Years ago ",he strong man among remedies.
re- j. i. IlnnGKIH.
RAILROADS. IN VIRGINIA. III" H!chmo"c
CORRESPONDENT Of he Peters Index :ays
From this Legislature the following coupanIe:
&c are asking or have obtained acts Ui lncorpora-
lc tion at this session Frederick >burg K North
d crn Neck. DauviIe & Salem, Richmond \
y CoaIield. Richmonh Il Chiffon f"rfr' r,'n
r. LynchturV & Clifton Forge. West Point \
!. Hanover Junction, Elenton, n. e. &Nori"k,
4 Va, Atlantic L Allegheny, Shen ,nn"ai Val
!. ley, Winchester 4 Luray Valley, Virginia 4
a Maryland Pittsburg, Pa. & Charleston. :. G.,
- fright OF way askcd,) Alexandria 4 Fr"dcrIrE5
,, burg, IRE incorporation asked
- There are also two Constitution bills, The
! Atlantic Mississippi T. Ohio, aud that 81 th:
q Orange& Alexandria l. Manassas, and the
. Lynchburg 4 DanvII!e railroads.
Besides these there are COMPANIES already
, organized and charters granted to build the
= following roads: Richmond 4 Newport Ness,
f Richmond T. lIynchburG Air Line, Norfolk,
. Great Western l. ri Iaso, I.yEchburg 4 Dan
, vile, Roanoke Valley, Valley Railroad ir6la
, West Point to Chesapeake Bay, Goriousvic
, & Fredericksburg, Winchester & Stra>bury,
CIinch Valley, Virginia 4 Kentucky.
There are souc halt doz,n other roads
proposed, the names Of which have not now
at hand-but one is to run down the Elstcrn
shore another from Buckingham Courthouse
to Farmville, another from TtevlI'iaus Depot
to GrcenspIiDg, another from Ream's Station
to Brunswick Courthouse another from Rich.
from Bu7kcvie via New Plymouth, 10 con-
meet with Norfolk and Great Wcs;crr. There
may be still other roads projected.
Both the President and the Commissioner
OF Indian Affairs express the opinion that an
Indian war will be obviatcd by the coming con-
sultalion with Red Cloud and the Sioux Chiefs
PROPOSALS FOR TIES.
Sealed proposals will be received t.. the office
Of the Alvxaudris and FREDERICKSBURG Railway
Company, in Alozandria, Va, up to 3 O clock
p. m. Of the 18th day Of June. 1870, for the &c:
iiveryof THIRTY THOUSAND WHlTEOAK
TIES on the line OF said railway between Alex
andria and Accotink. to be delivered by the
tenth day Of September, 1870. For spectca
tions and details apply to LINCOLN mil.
| LARD, Washington, d. g., or to Hon. REU
BEN JOHNSTON, at tho office Of the Com