The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-10-03
ROMANCE OF A TOOTH.
Involving FiIial Duty, Gold, Love
and Gunpoyvder.

Involving FiIial Duty, Gold, Love
and GunpOwder.
From the Philadelphia Record.
Replanting human teeth with sue
cessful results has advanced so far be-
yond the tentative stage that DR.. Kirk.
dean Of the Dental College at the Uni
versity Of Pennsylvania, has offered
himself as a sacrifice to science by
voluntarily having one of his teeth
extracted and replanted for the pur-
pose OF noting the practical results Of
SO painful an operation. What is
claimed by the advocates Of this new
idea in dental surgery is that decayed
teeth may be pulled out, filed, filed
and polished up and put back in the
socket from which they were drawn,
where they will grow in tight and
serviceable.
Though the return Of the tooth to
the place from which it was extracted
is an entire novelty, yet in the latter
part or the fifteenth century it was
not unusual for a. wealthy person who
lost tooth to purchase one of the
same build from another person and
have 1t inserted in his mouth as soon
as his own was removed. That this
operation was frequently successful is
shown by the we'll known story of John
Hall, the novelist Mr. Hall was en-
gagged to Miss Robbins a very beautf-
fuI orphan girl, who lived on South
Second street, below Dock creek, with
his grandmother who was in comfort
able circumstances at the close of the
American Revolution. Mr.. Hall was
oDnged to visit England, and in his
nine months absence Miss Robbins
income very materially decreased, ow-
ing to the fluctuations in real estate
or that period. Her health failed, life
itself seeming to depend upon her 60
ing for time to the country; but not
a debt for rent could be collected, and
the two ladies' were literally without
money.
A dentist residing near had always
been friendly to them, and to him the
granddaughter applied for advice
While waiting for him to finish with
patient having a front tooth extract
ed, the man said he would give one
hundred dollars for one of Miss Rob
bins front teeth. They dickered about
the price, until finally he offered two
and immediately planted in the mans
mouth. The dentist took the precau-
ton or ascertaining that he lived in
the city and was Of good reputation,
and all PARTIES were content with the
transaction.
In the following October Mr.. Hall re-
turned from England, and Immediately
ObSciNSO IhdC MISS RODD1nS mao lOSt q
front tooth, whereupon her grandmoth-
er related the story OF her fi1ial devo-
ton. Mr.. Hall called upon the pur-
chaser of the TOOTH proposing to buy
1t from him at a considerable advance
but to this the purchaser would in no
wise consent, Upon which Mr.. Hall
struck him in the face and called him
coward. There were witnesses to the
aTront, so challenge ensued, and they
fought a duel with pistols on a vacant
lot at Ninth and Arch. streets, where
the first elephant ever exhibited IN
Philadelphia was shown. Mr.. Hall. it
was said, fired too soon, the bu1le.
striking the tooth in, dispute, and
breaking It, leaving the root still in
the jaw of the purchaser
Mr. Hall was writer of fiction, some
old volumes of his stories being still
on the shelves Of public libraries; but
he did not marry his sweetheart, say
ing he could not allow any man to
live with the tooth of his wife in his
mouth.