The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1871-12-05
From Missouri Dental Journal.
THE PYROXYLINE BASE.


purposes:
"Amplo time has now, we think, been
given to test the merits Of Dr.. Brock ways
method, 1t it possesses any, aud also to
improve his method Of manipulation (if it
we're easily done), so as to do away with
some OF the objections patent to every one
who has made trial of it. With no
desire to undervaue good thing, or to
do Injustice to any one, we make the fol-
lowing report for the good of whom it
may concern.
1--WE have been greatly disappointed
in what we first thought would prove a
valuable auxiliary in the dental laborato-
ry. About eight months since we sought
and obtained practical instructions in DR..
BIS method of working pyroxyline, i'm
medlately put to a practical test. We
liked the appearance Of the material 1t
seemed to possess all the properties re.
quisite as a base-lightness, strength, and
elasticity acids and the secretons found
in the oral cavity seemed to have no ac-
tion on it, and we were assured that it
would not deteriorate on being worn 10
the mouth was easily manipulated and
would retain its shape and form without
change. 1t contained nothing injurious,
the little coloring matter being perfectly
harmless.
"Results have shown the claims Of DR..
B. to be untounded, otherwise the pro-
fession would now be using pyroxyine
instead Of rubber. We very soon became
satisfied that it was not all that was claim.
ed for it; that it would not answer our
purpose as a base, unless some important
Improvements were made in the mode of
working it; with this view we made some
experiments, and succeeded only partial.
y in overcoming some Of the difficulties.
lhe plates would spring from the die or
mould after being swaged especially if
much Of the solvent was used in attaching
the teeth and trimming the plate. We
have succeeded in overcoming this Difficult
ty so nearly that we experience but little
trouble from this source. But another
aud more serious trouble is met with in
attaching the teeth. In the first ustruc.
tions given, the teeth were to be backed
by placing quantity of the commlnutcd
material around the rivcts and then dis.
solving it with the solvent we soon found
that though we followed instructions
closely, this formed very poor attach.
meut. The teeth would soon loosen aud
the caSo come to pieces. We improved
upon this method of backing by using the
sheet material with as little OF the com.
minuted mat rial as possible to f around
the rhci,. We observed also that after
ease had Uccu "oru short time there
would oe more or less space underneath
the blocks, forming receptacle for par.
tlcles OF food which, III time, became very
otfensiyc. Alter experimenting about
Two months, We received call from DR..
Troutmau. OF the firm Of Morrison L.
Troutman, Albany, manufacturers Of
pyroxyllne base. lie gave US some v4lu-
able hints, as he claimed, 10 the method
of working it. To secure firm tounda.
tlon for the teeth, and prevent the shrink.
age at this point, the result of which was
the spaces we had observed. he filled all
the space underneath the teeth with strips
OF the plate; or if the space was great,
and the plate lower one, he used tin
filings to give the plate weight if an up.
per one, cork filings, to give it lightness.
we observed that a single tooth, as
an incisor or bicuspid, would soon get
out Of fpostion if attached in the usual
manner. DR.. 7. suggested the backing
Of these teeth with gold or silver plate
letting strip of the backing extend from
the base of the tooth into the base plate,
as is often done with rubber In this way
this difficulty was effectually overcome.
DR.. I. suggested several other minor i'm
provements, which did not affect materi-
ally the general result. The attachment
of the teeth was still defective and would
give way; the plate would change form
aud shrink from the teeth, and the whole
process from the beginning to the end re-
quired the exercise Of more care and
patience than is often to be found in the
mechanical branch of our profession at
the present day. We were beginning to
lose faith in pyroxyliue, and was about
giving it up, when we received a paper
from Boston, Containing what purported
to be the report Of q committee, appoint.
ed by the Boston Dental Society, on
pyroxyline. This committee, composed
OF men well known to the profession, at.
ter careful investigation and several
months trial, reported iavorably. Sure
ly, thought we, something must be wrong
we have missed it somewhere. We don't
know as much as we thought. So at it
we went again, again to be disappointed.
About this time we received from Messrs,
Brockway d Co., new instructions, some
new apparatus, clamps, ETC., also speci.
men case. We found nothing new to US
in the instructions, and we had already
supplied ourselves with most Of b ap.
paratus, so We gained no information or
advantage from this lesson. We then
instituted some inquiries about the report
in the Boston paper, and learned that it
was fabrication; that no such report
had been made, that, on the contrary, a
very d tferent report would be made aud
published at the next meeting ofthe soc-
ETY.. In the mean time our cases were
coming back, some OF them badly disin-
tegrated, teeth loose, plate brittle, in
every way very unsatisfactory.
1--WE report pyroxyline failure in St
Louis, and We have received the same re.
port from several OF our correspondents
in other cities, Boston excepted. We
are making no further trials with pyroxy-
line, being satisfied with the experience
We have had"
A young lady was knocked l6 feet
down the hatchway of Hudson river
steamer, the other day, BY the parting
OF the cable, striking on her head, bat
suffering no serious injury, owing to her
protecting pompadour" With crino.
line TO poise them in air. and float them