Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1886-11-28
NERVOUS HEROES.
Men Who Could Endure the Shock OF Bat
tie but Could Not Stand the Tap of the
Dentists Mallet.

1
Dentists Mallet.
| Washington Letter IN Chicago NeiOs.
Having occasion to visit dentist the
other day, asked him if l was the most
nervous man he ever had in his chair,
"Bless you, no" replied the tooth
tinker. "You are only about the average
patient, and it would surprise you to see
how some of the big men act when they
come here to get their teeth fixed.
General Sheridan, for example, is one
| of the worst men in den
lists chair you ever saw. and
General Logan is even worse than he.
Why, Logan is as tender rs . baby, and
will shrink at the slightest touch on his
nerves, while l suppose there never was
two Drawer men in battle than they.
General Sherman, too, is about as bad,
and acts as if he were going to hare 4 fiji
whenever the drill is put into his teeth.
He Jumps, and grunts, and groans, and
takes on worse than if he were having his
leg cnt off.
General Burnside, on the contrary,
was one of the most patient and enduring
men ever saw. l have had him in my
chair a number of times and have filled a
| lot of his teeth. He would sit quietly
without making moan, or saying word
| from the time that he took his seat until
the job was finished. He always seemed
TO be grateful that did not cause him
any more plain, and when would ask
him, as / did sometimes: Does that
hurt you, General?' he would reply: oh,
no, not much; 90 on and let's get done
with it; the sooner the job is over th5
better"
"Andrew johnson, when he was vice
president and when he was in the Senate,
came to my Office several times, and was q
very good patient, taking things philosoph'
ically and making me very little trouble.
l once filled four teeth for him at a sitting,
and every one of them was in good condi'
ton. The job lasted nearly five hours
and must have hnrt him dreadfully, but
he never WINGED, and did not seem to have
any nerves at all.
| "Old Zach Chandler was another good
patient He would sit in the chair almost
motionless, and would let me drill away al
his teeth without any remOnstrance OF
show of pain. But one time when | under
took to draw u tooth for him | thought the
old man would 90 crazy. 1t was tough
old grinder and had been troubling him q
good deal, being liberated around the
roots. got good hold with the nippers
and the first time nearly lifted him out
of the chair. But it did not come. took
hold again and lifted him the same rs be-
forer | saw his face was quite pale, and
asked him if he did not want to rest:
He said: NO, would like &c
have it out ut once But as the opera,
ton was evidently so painful, and rs he
seemed to keep growing paler, suggested
that he had better take either lie de-
clined, saying that he never took an
anusthetic in his life, and never would,
Turning around sharply, he told me to go
on without further delay. ]. got hold
again and gave jerk that drew the tooth
| from his head. lie lay back in the chair
entirely exhausted and closed his eyes.
thought for q moment that he would faint
and brought him glass Of water; asking
if it hurt him much. Looking up to mt
he said: Yes, it hurt like -
There is naval officer in this city,
whose name / will not mention, who
breads to have his teeth touched more
than any man that | ever saw. The first
| time that he came here to have 4 job done
he frightened me so that | was on the
point of telling him to 20 somewhere elst
| for his dentistry. 1t was not Il difficult OF
painful operation; simply the filling of
small cavity in one of his front teeth, but
when put the drill upon him | thought
lie would Jump out of the chair. liz
threw up his arms, and knocking over the
stand, turned on me with volley of the
most fearful oaths and declared that if
hurt him that way again he would cut my
head open. Then he settled back again
and said: "NOw, be careful; there is NJ
sense in killing man i'll little job like
this
II nut the drill on him again, and i
had no more than touched the tooth wheI
he Sprang up with another eruption of bat
| language, denounced me as butcher
and said that he would not endure suCl
treatment any longer. | demonstrated
told him that il was necessary TO clear on
the cavity so that the filling would ad
here, and said that | would be gentle n
possible. But it took me whole after
noon to finish that tooth, and would no
touch him again for any amount OimOncy
This man was one of the bravcSt and mos
famous naval officers of the war. NOthin!
in battle ever frightened him, and hi
deeds have a large place in history.
81 find almost without exception tina
military and naval men are great coward
in a dentists chair; the Drawer they are il
battle the more nervous they seem to b
when they come get their teeth fixed.
81 think about the worst patient ever
had, even worse than the old admiral
told you Of, was another of the army, for
merly on General Towards staff. He wa.
a very gallant officer during the war, wa:
shot all to pieces, and. believe, has since
died from the wounds he received in battle,
At the time he came to me he was full o
lead and carried the scars he had received
in battle. But never in all my life haC
so nervous and eXC!tablc man in my
chair. Every time made move towarC
him he would shrink, and once when
touched the nerves he shed genuine tear
and begged me, like n child would beg
not to hurt him so again.
BlOwing Up Hell Gate
has been laboriOuS and costly work, bu
the end iustiies the effort. Obstruction
in any important channel means disaster,
Distractions in organs of the human body
bring inevitable disease. They must b'
cleared away, or physical wreck will fol