The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-01-15

chimes. which bore holes with a revolv-
ing drill, and seem to penetrate to the
very base of your skull. These things
were all arranged in the old familiar
way, ana except for certain shabbi-
ness in the furniture, and a certain
STIFFNESS in the air, I could have mag
1ned myself in a dental parlor of the
second rate kind. But an opium-scent-
ed Whit came now and again from the
Shanghai Club, and rendered a mistake
impossible.
What you want?" broke In Landon,
astonished at my long silence. He
speaks our language perfectly well, and
1t is not necessary to translate his re-
marks into that absurd Pigeon Eng
Iish which all Cinnamon are popularity
supposed to speak
1t occurred to me that I had better
explain by presence. "Oh, want some
teeth, l answered vaguely
Wen, sit down, let me look"
IL is not pleasant to have ones mouth
pulled about by a Chinaman's fingers.
but l had to submit. The doctor was
we'll dressed and looked clean. but stir
there is certain peculiar aroma about
the yellow skin which is most objection
able to US. To be just, Europeans have
also their special scent, which is unite
as Objectionable to men of other races.
Inc dentist, with the aid of his finger.
examined my mouth carefully, and then
mat SIiOulO REQUIRE 600l1t
nall dozen teeth in the lower Jaw. He
would undertake to carry out the work
In quite superior manner for forty dol
lars, with gold plates and everything
else In superfine style. Or he would mt
In cheap rubber job for fifteen dol
lars.
IF you go to an American dentist he
VIII charge you twice as much" he re-
marked, by way of clinching the har-
gain.
1 explained that I was short of
money just then, and asked about The
terms of payment.
Il want deposit Of ten dollars
said Landon, and the balance on com
pletion of work.
Cant get time; pay it off on the
installment plan?"
Not unless you are in business then
L might give credit; but not to stran-
gers"
Landon understands his business per-
fectly well, and is not going to take
any chances when dealing with casual
visitors. He told me that he had
many European patients. most of the
mechanical work he did being for
whites. Chinese came mostly for sim
pie operations, such as tooth drawing
DO your countrymen ever wear false
teeth?' / asked.
Not in China, but here they are
learning
And where did you get your experi-
ence?" -
oh, l learned partly in China. and
then came here and studied American
methods" ] should like to have learned
more, but just then the door bell rang
and DR.. Landon gave me his card
asked me to call again and bowed me
out with all the grace of a well-fed
western practitioner
| visited about half a dozen Other
Chinese dentists. but the result was Il,
every case the same. Their esta hIisb
ments cluster thickly around Dunon+
and Stockton, between Sacramento ana
Jackson streets. They are All on
pretty much the same scale. I'M a fiebt
or two of narrow stairs, and arranged
to initiate as closely as NAV be an
American dental parlor. The f,Irni-
ture is more or less shabby and the
atmosphere more or less stuffy. accord
ing to the prosperity of the occupant
and the situation of his rooms. Tbeir.
charges, also, are pretty much alike:
none of them varied more than five dol
lars from the price given by the first
dentist / visited.
One man, indeed, great coarse fell
low, whose place was the dirtiest and
shabbiest of all, offered to make me
complete set of false teeth for nineteen
dollars, "lubber." or thirty five dollars
IL gold plates were used. l was NOT
tempted to accept the offer, and has
tened to the nearest chemist to have
my mouth disinfected after the exam
ination. J. +. ROSE-SOLEY.