New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-07-24

anpreciation The mules stubbornness, now
ever. is more than offset by the dentists grit
and determination, and he never passes :. Ia
tient until he has closely examiner i's n r ~
and treated all teeth that are in need or MS
attention. 80 .,.
A few days ago as my friend the 'eterlnaty
dentist completing his work at one ol ti,c
mines he turned his attention 10 Dig inuie
that is exceedingly vicious and sly. ana had just
grasped the mules tongue, in order 10 nav =
better view of the teeth, when the amman SUI
denly brought his teeth together win a snap
over the doctors right hand cutting the thunD
to the bone. The beast was emphatcaiy re-
buked for this ungratefulness, the w0uhueu
thumb dressed. and before the Huie WIS
set free it had lost one OF its offending HoiarS
and several others were filed down consioeraply'
My informant asserts that in his entire expert
been bitten badly, although his patients ire
quently have the satisfaction OF sinking their
teeth into the folds OF his heavy clothing
HOW A MULE BRUSHES HIS TEETH
The teeth of most mules, he tells me. ike
those of human beings require some attention,
although the former do not often decay. as the
food they masticate is neither rich nor des-
structive. Besides, nature has endowed mules
with rough tongue that is an excellent sub
stitute for n toothbrush. and when the beast
whsks over and about MS teeth after he eats
one II Mr.. Mules amable weaknesses IS the
habit OF boiling his food, which frequently
causes dyspepsia or other diseases. THIS bolt
ing Of his food Is not caused By Il desire I"
hasten his meal so that he con hurry back to
his work, but because his u0larS. or back TEEN,
with which he does his grinding. having more
work 10 perform than his front teeth, with
which he nps the pcrnicious doorboy and driver,
wear away in the course Of a few years. ana be-
come much shorter than the front ones, thus
allowing the food 10 pass into the stomach
without being properly masticated In cases or
this Kind the incisors, ont teeth. have to be
filed down an eighth or Il quarter Of an inch.
that they are all uniform. Filing the teeth
is what the mule dIskeS and II is not much
wonder. as he is locked in stocks, his head
firmly secured and then when his tongue IL
pulled 10 one side the dentist wears the pro-
jecting teeth down with an instrument that
has greater rasp than coarse file.
As soon as Il mule sees the dentist with his
bright steel instrument he seems to realize what
Is in store for him. and distends his nostri,s
and eyes. He means pitifUy when n tooth is
being extracted, and seems 10 De happy When
the diseased mOlar is drawn cut. no merciiul
an;cst hcticS being given. At times, in showing
his objections to the operators heroic measures.
the uiul" Jumps the bars behind which he
is confined The molars OF a mule are three
and "A half inches in length, while the nc!Sors
measure two ard one-half. and Judging from
his signs Of pain tn" nerves are as plentiful
and as sensitive as are those Of human beings.
An expert dentist operates on twenty four mules
a day. and mule patient viii remember the
oTeratOr as long as he liv s. The extraction in
st~urncnts ar" from two to three feet in length.
and the entire case of instruments weighs fdilY
sixty pounds. The teeth 81 every mine nuI"
are examined ana treated. II necessary. once or
twice year and as soon as the dentist puts
bccumo unusually nervous and vicious. As you
nay well imagine. Of course, hurso dentists IN
England have a great deal to TO in TINS fir"c-
fnn. hut imagine that twenty -'"ur 'iolrntE
ohjc,ting patients per diem IS rather Vut OK
the ordinary experience.