The daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Ind. Ter. [Okla.]) 1898-1902, 1898-10-22
FIXING A MULES TEETH
A Branch Of Denfistry In Mexies
which Ia More Dangerous
Than Attractive.

A correspondent in Mexico sends an
interesting account of dentistry az
practiced on mules. Perhaps but few,
he writes, are acquainted with the
amount Of veterinary surgery which is
prscticed upon some of the mules
abroad some hundreds Of pounds be-
ing expended annually in having vet
erinary deRtists examine and treat the
teeth of the pit-horse, and especially
OF fthe much-maligned mine mule. Such
Is the case, however, and IL Ii safe to
ray that the molars OF these beasts Of
burden receive far more attention
thar do the teeth Of many of the men
and boys who are their daily cowork-
ers In the underground csverns- A
well known veterinary dentist ont
here, who makes q speciality OF treat
ing mules teeth, has more patients
awaiting their turn for his services
than, perhaps, any dentist in the -oId
country At present he is engaged
in treating the teeth of 200 mules used
In working the mines upon which am
engaged, which by the by. is only one
of dozen similar big companies that
find use for his services. A vicious,
stubborn mule that snaps at it's driver
and kicks at the tantahzing door boys
several hundred feet beneath the
earth's surface is neither an attract
i've nor docile patient, so that the
occupation Of the veterinary dentist
Is not pleasant, but he has Studied the
peculiarities and wickedness Of his long
cared patients and goes about his
work showing neither fear nor favor,
no matter how vicious his patient may
be- 1t frequently happens that just
Is he has finished doctoring the mules
teeth at q collfery his patients are so
regrerfuI over his near departure that
they make frantic efforts to keep
mouthful Of his person with them, or,
failing IN this, they try to leave the
imprint of one of their sharp shoes
on his anatomy as an everlasting SOU
vendr of their appreciation. The mules
etubbcrnness. however, 10 more than
ohset by the dertist's grit and deter
uaination, and he never passes pa
tient until he has closely examined
his mouth and treated all teeth that
are in need OF his attention
One of Mr.. Mules amiable weak
nesses Is the habit Of bolting his food,
which frequently causes dyspepsia or
other diseases This bolting OF his
food is not caused by desire to hasten
his meal SO that he can hurry back to
his work. but because his molars or
back teeth, with which he does his
grinding, having more work to per
form than his front teeth, with which
he nips the pernicious door boy and
driver, wear away in the course OF
few years, and become much shorter
than the front ones, thus allowing the
food to pass into the stomach without
being properly masticated. 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 dislikes, and it Is not
much wonder, as he is lockedin in stocks,
his head firmly secured, and then when
his tongue is pulled TO one side the dem
tist wears the projecting teeth down
with an instrument that has a greater
rasp than a coarse file.
As soon as a mule sees the dentist
with his bright steel instrument he
seems to realize what Is in store for
him, and dfstends biz nostrils and eyes.
He means pitifulIy when a tooth Is
being extracted, and seems to be hap
py when the diseased molar Is drawn
out, no merciful ansexthetics being
given At times, In showing his objec-
tion TO the operators heroic measures,
the mule Jumps over the bars behind
which he is confined. The molars of
mule are 3h inches in length, while
the incisors measure 25s, and, judging
from his signs Of pain, the nerves are
as plentiful and as sensitive as are
those Of human beings. An expert
dentist operates on "a miles q day,
and mule patient win remember the |
operator as long az he Hves. The ex-
tracing instruments are from two to |
three feet in length, and the entire
case OF instruments weighs fully 50 |
pounds The teeth Of every mine male
are examined and treated II necessary l
once or twice year. and ss soon a. |
the dsnkist puts in his appearance ct |
. mime his former patients beeome
unNEuakxy nervous ana T1c1cu&rINe