The Meeker herald., 1904-06-18
HORSE ueN,,srsY.
New Development. But Much LIES mat
PrsctIsed ON Humans.

Practlsed ON Humans.
1t is only within the last three years
that the dentist has come to give the
horse serious attention. AS yet there
are but one or two thoroughly quail
fed horse dentists In the country, and
they are kept surprisingly busy the
year round.
1t il interesting to watch an opera
ton In equine dentistry. reporter
visited the other day large stable
containing string of valuable horses
owned by wealthy hOrseman. One
of the animals. polo pony. was suffer
ing from u bad molar, and 1t was about
to be operated upon. She was put in
box stall, and n table, on which were
a glittering array of dental instru-
ments, was placed in a convenient po-
sitlon by two grooms. The dentist.
stoekily built man. appeared in n thin,
white canvas coat. He picked up one
of the Instruments. 1t had an ivory
handle and four small bars of nickel.
| working on II ratchet and crossing one
another so az to form n hollow square
| that could be made large or small by
| the turning of n screw.
| This instrument the dentist called
speculum. Setting it to the proper size
he slipped 1t gently into the animals
mouth, which was kept open meantime
| by the efforts of groom. until the
| instrument fitted upon the back teeth
and thus opened her mouth as wide
| as possible. The groom now took hold
of the handle of the speculnm with
| - y.
the other. enabling the dentist to get
full view of the damaged tooth. Al
ter examining it carefully he found
| that splinter would have to come on
| Taking up cutter, n scissors-slaped
instrument two feet long. and with
| saw like edges. he applied it to the
TOOTH and by quick movement
snapped off the offending splinter.
Among the display of nickel-plnted
dental tools on the table was an cleo
trio battery buzzing away. To one OF
its wires the dentist fixed diminutive
drill Instantly there was burr upon
the end of the drill as it began to
revolve by the currents force with the
rapidity of circular saw. Quickly
the Dentist applied the drill to the
damaged molar. and with buzzing,
grinding sound 1t bored Its way
through the enamel.
After removing the drill the dentist
took up syringe. through which hot
air was blow into the tooth. thorough
ly cleansing It, A small piece of gold
was then placed into the cavity by
forceps. This malleable metal the sur
geon pounded tightly into the socket,
adding more and more of the gold as
he hammered and nodded it. until I'm
ally the tooth had regained It's original
size and shape.
The operation lasted barely an hour
The spectrum was removed by the
groom. and the mare was given buck
ct of water. which 1t drank up greedily
and afterward ate hearty meal. The
animal suffered no pain. Through
out the operation 1t remained perfect
ly still; 1t seemed to know that some
thing was being done for Its beneht.
The mare has had the tooth broken
accidentally in the field by blow
from a polo club. The splinter that
remained cut her mouth. and the pain
prevented her from eating.
Aluminium and amnlgam, as well ms
gold, are used In the filling and crown
ing Of horses teeth. The fee charged
varies anywhere from s. to $125.
Where gold is used. it is. of course.
the most expensive item In the
operation. for the back tooth OF an
equine measures an inch broad anu
three inches long and it requires.
therefore. n, large quantity of the valu-
able metal to fill up these r1olars.-
Ioln I oil tor