Evening star., 1899-04-14
ap7-f, f,m&w-d
Teeth Cut Benr-Trap Fashion ant
Plugged With Iron.

Teeth Cut Bear-Trap Fashion and
Plugged With Iron.
From the Mexican Herald
Leopoldo Batres. national curator of an
tquities, has made an interesting present
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 skull a glass
bead.a little copper bell, just like those which
are at this day tied around the necks of
kittens, and an upper left bicuspid tooth
with 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 incrustations in their teeth. Alfredo
Chavero possessed front tooth taken from
tomb at Palenque, in the middle of which
green stone is set. Sometimes the incrus-
tations We're of gold and the incrustations
of iron pyrites, when they We're 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 second bicuspid
given by Mr.. Batres to DR.. Jose J. Rojo
the young Mexican dentist in Dr. Howe s
office, and also taken from the Militia tomb,
is without any such incrustation.
On the other hand, a canine, given by Mr..
Batres to DIR. Rojo has the incrustation,
and also affords evidence that these orna-
ments We're made during life and not after
death The present condition of the teeth
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 oc-
cur after death, the microbes or organisms
which cause decay dying with the individ-
ual.
1t is evident from the specimen possessed
by Dr. RoJo that they must have caused
suffering to those who used them and.
therefore, 1t Is 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 doyetail-
Ing 1ndentations. Each contiguous pair of
upper front teeth We're notched for a GER
tain distance upward and sideways so as
to bear resemblance to battlements turn
ed upside down. The lower teeth were al
fernateiy cut off and cleft of their natural
size, so as to fit in with the notches above.
In other words, a lower tooth situated be-
low cavity above was left of its natural
size and the adjoining tooth was cut off for
some distance.
or course, the upper and lower teeth TINS
treated would not meet at once but it is a
fact well known to dentists that if an up-
per tooth Is cut off the corresponding lower
tooth VIII gradually grow up to it. and vice
Versa, II lower tooth is sawed off the
corresponding upper tooth will grow down
to it. Therefore, in the course of time the
notched teeth of these prehistoric Indians
fitted into each other exactly and must
have given them a peculiarly firm grip upon
anything they got between their teeth .
The fragment of skull which Dr. Howe
mas, 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 pyrite is inserted Qt is
loose now and easily comes ouD is per-
fectly circular and symmetrical. 1t argues
good instruments and skillfui workman
no nSfr I'M N ca6 nf
pered copper, the art of producing which
has been lost.