The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-05-31
kLOND|KE AND DENTISTRY.
NORrHWARD BOUND PROSECUTORS
AND DEFECTIVE TEETH.
Tili Last Moment and Want Wors>
Done at once-others Promise
Nuggets In Exchange for Filling.

htondiker or another b Few days ago IN 4
hotel lobby.
by Jove. / hadn't even thought of it,
said his companion as he grabbed his hat
and started for the nearest dentists.
So IL goes. Hundreds OF men have come
into Seattle from the East and have passed
through a similar experience. With thar
chronic dread of the dentists chair that
seems coeval with humanity they have gone
along for months or years letting the can
ker OF decay eat through tfe peaEly enamel
and barrow inward Till now and then
throhoing nerve protests. The average man
would sooner face q cannon or ghost than
a pair of forceps, the dentists rasping file.
the Horrible grinding drill. or the mallet
which. however gently tapped by the office
assistant. seems 10 strike with the force
of trip hammer. So the evil day IS post
poned. and the aching molar Is lulled to
sleep with the narcotic or some other
day"
Suddenly the man Is smltten with the
gold fever. Seattle IS his first goal.
Whether he comes from cultured Bes-
ton or historic Concord. from the SUNNY
Southern savannahs or the bleak pralries
Of Dakota, from metropolitan Chicago or
rural Shutdown. 1t is all the same. His
ticket is TO Seattle. He arrives. The city
with its marvellous blending OF frontier and
civilized life and types Is before him and
around him. His hotel found. he seeks the
SNippifiS Office, the UoSk NneFS MS steamer
lies, the various dealers where he is 10 plir-
chase his outfit. He meets others who are
bound northward. They talk over routes
and trails. creeks and claims. climate and
health. Finally somebody says teeth" and
then the specter OF that defective meiar
rises grimly as 10 an eager recruit who
trembles as the examining army inspector
bids him open his mouth. Il hadn't even
thought of IT," he says.
The work must be done. Everything
else has been attended TO. The date OF his
sailing has been fixed. The dentist offers
him an appointment tomorrow or the next
day. But I'm going TO Alaska" says the
man: 'I must have this work done right
away" II can't help that. my dear fell
| low" replies the dentist: II didn't fix your
| sailing date
In common with all other interests and
| professions in Seattle dentistry has been
| more OF less affected by the klondike
| movement Far more dental work has
| been done than usual. Transient sojourn-
| ers have fingered impatient In the waiting
/ room. Old residents. gathering IN klon-
| dixie nuggets indirectly have paid long de-
| ferred bills or had their mouths renovated.
| Some improyident people who are going
| north have forgotter; to include sound
| teeth In their estimates for an outfit. and
| at the last moment they plead with the
| dentist to do the necessary work and wait
I
| Utopia creek and can send him back mug
| get In exchange for a gold filling.
With all their varied experiences the den
fists are a unit IN saying that the sddi-
tional business growing out OF the throngs
of Klondikers rendezvousing In Seattle has
not raised the schedule OF prices for dem
tai work.
Prom my point Of view" said DIR.
Purdy TO a Post-Inteiigencer reporter, Il
consider that the klondike movement has
injured rs rather than benefited IA. / had
all the work / could do before the north
ward rush set Ia. The effect of that rush
has been to raise the cost of living. Rents
have gone up provisions have gone up.
the price of labor has gone up: but we get
no better pay Tor an hours work than we
did two years ago
Discussing the effect of the Klondlke
movement on dentistry, from rather
scientific point OF view. DIR. c. Lincoln
Erwin. secretary OF the Washington State
Dental Society. said:
since the golden laden Klondike vessel
reached our docks last spring the prac-
tlee OF dentistry IN this city has been some
what peculiar. Many funny "reminiscences
OF practice have been gone over. Dental
patients from almost the entire world
have presented themselves 10 the dental
profession N this city for repairs before
entering on the .igors OF an Arctic climate.
These patients present some very historic
features OF the profession. / have tabu-
lated number Of cases that have come
under my notice in foreign countries. Ono
was that OF an English lady who wore
beautiful god partial den.ure or plate
underneath the attached teeth. Her dent
list had In London cut OF the roots OF her
natural organs, the pulps having bean
dead below the gums, The decayed puIps
were allowed 20 remain n the roots, the
canals left open and beautiful set OF
teeth constructed over these roots. BY
the way, this IL mode Of practice quite
prevalent I'm England. Imagine for "A mo-
meat IL you can the condition of This
mouth.
Another case is that OF a man who
had lived in the Yukon regions for "A num-
Der Of years. Before going there he had
lost a number OF teeth. Some decay had
taken place there, bat decay seemed very
slow. gum disease seeming 20 be far more
prevalent than decay. The man had made
fortune He put off caring for mis- mouth
until he was ready TO return when he
rushed of to have Il done. The gentle
man had FIVE days before sailing. There
were fourteen teeth for bridging. two
nerves 10 b. removed and some filling
Well. tins dentist put OFF ali other patients
and WORKED two fun nights 10 get the
work done.
Another case was that Of two men from
Honduras Arasgnic. mAiarsal patients,
gums bad pyorFhoea. Alveolaris
In an advanced stage, found IN
one NORTH, the teeth had
whitish decay which seemed - work
rapidly, caBsed by NITRIC acid secresious
After one month in Seattle both their
systemic conditions had so much improved
thar healing tn and around the mouth
became easy. Another was a patient who
had been advised ny his Eastern dentist
70 have AL the gold filings taken cut OF
his mouth before going North "a the
gold being a good conductor OF heat and
cold would XIII all the nerves In his teeth.
The kiofpiike patients. as a rule ara
highly appreciated by the profession IN
this city. Many have come from experts
hands IN the East. some OF the operations
only partially complet ed -