St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-12-26
NERVOUS HEROES.
They Could Face the Music of Battle
But Quaiied i'm the Dentists

Chair
Washington Letter in Chicago News.
Having occasion to visit dentist the
other day, l asked him if l was the most
nervous man he ever mad 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. Gen. Sheridan,
for example. is one of the worst men in
dentists chair you ever saw. and Gen.
| Logan is even worse than he. Why. Logan
! is as tender as baby, and will shrink at
the slightest touch on his nerves, while l
suppose there we're never TWO Drawer men
in battle than they. Gen. Sherman, too,
is about as bad, and acts as if he were
going to have tit whenever the drill is put
into his teeth. He jumps and gruntS, and
grOanS. and takes on worse than il he were
having his leg cut off.
"Gen. Burnside. on the contrary. was
one of the most patient and enduring men
l ever saw. l have had him in my chair
number of times and have filled a lot of his
teeth. He would sit quietly without max
| ing a moan. or saying a word from the
time he took his seat until the job was fin
ished. He always seemed to be grateful
that [ had not caused him any more pain,
and when would ask him. as did some
times. 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 the better
ANDREW Johnson. when he was vice
president and when he was in the senate,
came to my Office several times, and was
very good patient, taking things philOsOph-
oIlt- and L-iOr mn lirflo frnnhIo
| 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 hurt 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 at
his teeth without any rem0nStrance or
snow of pain. But one time when L I'M
dertook to draw a tooth for him, thought
the old man would go crazy 1t was
tough old grinder and had been troubling
him q good deal. being liberated around
the roots. | got good hold with the nip
pers. and the first time l nearly lifted him
out OF the chair. But it did not come. l
took hold again, and lifted him the same
as before. l saw that his face was quite
pale. and asked him if he did not want
to rest. He SAID: No. would like to
have it out at once But as the operation
was evidently so painful. and as he seemed
to keep growing paler, 1 suggested that he
had better take ether He declined, say
ing that he never took all anRsthetic In
his life, and never would. Turning around
Sharpely, he told me to go Oil and have it
over without further delay. 1 got hold
again and gave jerk that drew the tooth
from his head. He lay back in tine chair
entirely exhausted and closed his eyes. l
thought for moment that he would faint,
and brought him a glass of water, asking
if it hurt him much. Looking up to me he
said: Yes it hurt like
Il find almost without exception that
military and naval men are great towards
i'll dentists chair; the Drawer they are in
battle the more nervous they seem to be
when they come to get Their teeth fixed.
Il think about the worst patient L ever
had. even worse than the old admiral l
told you of. was an officer of the army,
formerly on Gen. Towards staff. He was
very gallant officer during the war, was
shot all to pieces. and l believe has since
died from the wounds he received in battle.
At the time he came to me he was full of
lead, and carried the scars he received in
battle. But | never in all my life had so
nervous and eXcitable man in my chair.
Every tune / made move toward him he
would shrink, and once when l touched
the nerve he shed genuine tears and begged
me, like child would beg his mother, not
to hurt him SO again"