The San Francisco call., 1896-11-21
DENTISTRY FOR MULES.

Ii Pays Mining Corporations to Look
After the Teeth of Their Animals.
1t Is not generally known that the large
mining corporations spend thousands of
dollars annually in having veterinary dem
lists examine and treat the teeth of the
much m aligned mine mule. Such is the
case, however, and it is safe to say that the
molars of these beasts of burden receive
far more care and attention than do the
teeth of many of the men and boys who
are their daily co-workers in the under
ground caverns. A well-known Harrisburg
veterinary dentist who makes speciality
of treating mules teeth has more patients
awaiting their turn for his services than
perhaps any dentist in the State. At pres
ent he is engaged in treating the teeth of
the 290 mules used in operating the col
lieries of the Philadelphia and Reading
Coal and Iron Company, which is only one
of dozen similar big coal companies that
finds use for his services.
A vicious. stubborn mule, that snaps at
it's driver, and kicks at the tantalfzine
doorboys. several hundred feet beneath
the earth's surface, is neither an attractive
nor a dociie patient, so that the occupa-
ton OF the veterinary dentist Is not pleas
ant; but he has studied the peculiaritles
and wicKedness of his long cared patients.
and goes about his work, showing neither
patient may be. 1t frequently happens
that just as he has finished doctoring the
mules teeth at colliery, his patients are
so regretful over his near departure that
they make frantic efforts to keep mouth
ful of his person with them, or falling in
| this, they try TO leave the imprint of one of
| their sharp shoes on his anatomy as an
| everlasting souvenir of their appreciation.
| The mules stubbornness, however, is more
| than offset by the dentists grit and deter
mination, and he never passes a patient
until he has closely examined its mouth
and treated ali the teeth that are in need
! of his attention.
was completing his work at one OF the
mines he turned his attention to big
mule that is exceedingly vicious and sly,
| and had just grasped the mules tongue
in order to have better view of the
teeth when the animal suddenly brough,
his teeth together with a snap over the
doctors right hand, cutting the thumb to
the bone. The beast was emphatically re.
buked for his ungratcfulness, the wounded
| thumb was dressed, and before the mule
was set free it had lost one of its offending
molars and several others were filed do WI
considerably. The dentist asserts that in
his entire experience that was the frs
time that he had ever been bitten badly
although his patients frequently have the
satisfaction of sinking their teeth into the
folds of his heavy clothing.
The teeth of these mules, like those O
human beings, require some attention, al
though the former do not often decay, al
the food they masticate is neither rich no.
destructive. Besides nature has endowed
mules with rough tongue that is an ex
celient substitute for tooth brush, anC
which the beast whisks over and about hi
| teeth after he eats. One of his weak
nesses, though. Is the habit of boiling hi.
food, which frequen ntly causes dyspepsia OF
other diseases, such as affect humanity
This boiling of his food is not caused by 9
desire to hasten his meal so that he car
hurry back to his work, but because hi.
molars or back teeth, with which he does
his grinding, having more work to perform
than his front teeth, with which he nip:
the pernicious doorboy and driver, wear
away in the course OF few years, and be-
| come much shorter than the front ones
thus allowing the food to psss into the
stomach without being properly masti-
Gated. In cases of this kind, the incisors
or front teeth, have to be filed down an
eighth or quarter of an inch so that they
are all uniform.
| Filing the teeth is what the mule dis