The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-11-26
MEXICAN INDIAN DENTISTRY.
Teeth Cut Bear-Trap Fashion and
Plugged Literally with Iron.
From the Mexican Hera

From the Mexican Herald.
Mr.. Leopoldo Batres. national curator of
antiquities, has made am interesting pres
ent TO his friend, Dr. Howe, the dentist.
1t consists of some articles discovered in
one of the tombs of Militia. The articles in
question are a portion OF a skull, a glass
bead, little copper bell, just like those
which are at this day tied around the
necks of kittens. and an upper left bcus-
pid tooth with a circular incrustation Of
pyrites of iron in front, all from the same
skeleton.
1t is no new fact that some of the alb
original peoples of Mexico wore ornaments
or incrustatons in their teeth. Lie AL
tredo Chavero possessed a front tooth taken
from tomb az Palenque in the middle of
which a green stone is set Sometimes
the incrustations were of gold, and the in
crustations of iron pyrites, when they were
new and the sulphur in them was fresh,
undoubtedly shone like gold.
There is reason to suppose that only the
eight front upper teeth were incrusted, at
any rate as a rule, for a second bicuspid
given by Mr.. Batres to DR.. Jose ]. Rojo,
the young Mexican dentist in DR.. Howe's
ofnce, and also taken from the Militia tomb,
is without any such incrustation. On the
other hand, a canine, given by Mr. Batres
TO DR.. Rojo, has the incrustation and also
affords evidence that these ornaments
were made during life and not after death.
The present condition of the tooth shows
that the incrustation had reached the
nerve cavity and destroyed the life of the
tooth, process that argues life in the
subject, as decay of the teeth does not
occur after death, the microbes or organ
lsms which caused decay dying with the
individual.
AS to the object and significance of
these incrustations. they are a matter OF
conjecture. They may have been affected
by all who could afford them. or they
may have been distinctive mark Of some
rank or caste What is evident from the
specimen possessed by DR.. Rojo is that
they must have caused suffering to those
VINO used them and, therefore 1t is to be
inferred that the fashion or custom which
prescribed them must have had a strong
social or religious sanction.
Another custom, revealed by the teeth
found in these prehistoric tombs is that
of notching the teeth so as to form dove
failing indentations. Each contiguous pair
OF upper front teeth were notched for a
certain distance upward and sideways, so
as to bear a resemblance to battlements
turned upside down. The lower teeth were
alternately cut off and left of their natural
size, so as to fit in with the notches above.
In other words, lower tooth situated be-
low cavity above was left of its natural
size, and the adjoining tooth was cut off
for some distance. OF course, the upper
and lower teeth thus treated would not
meet at once, but 1t IS a fact well known
70 dentists that if an upper tooth is cut
off, the CORES spending lower tooth will
gradually grow up to it, and vice versa,
If a lower tooth is sawed off the CORE
spending upper tooth will grow down to IL
Therefore, in course of time, the notched
teeth of these prehistoric Indians fitted
into one another exactly and must have
given them a peculiarly firm grip upon
anything they got between their teeth
The fragment of skull which Dr. Howe
has, as well as the tooth, is colored red,
which must have resulted from their being
dipped in mercury. This was naturally a
post-mortem operation.
The cavity in the tooth in which the in
crustation of iron pyrites is inserted Qt IS
loose now and easily comes ouO is per-
fectly circular and symmetrical IL ar
CUES good instruments and skillful work
manship. The instruments used were of
tempered copper, the art of producing
which has been lost.
The little bell taken from the tomb, and
which is also one of DIR. Howe's valued
possessions, is green, of course, but il is
otherwise in perfect preservation. and 1t
tiukles just as aud bly, as il did when de-
posted in The tomb, thousands of years
ago. by a race of people that has per-
ished