Tes iatrikes kartos, or, A treatise de morborum capitis essentiis & pronosticis adorned with above three hundred choice and rare observations ... / by Robert Bayfield ...

CAP. CXV. De Dentium Corrosione.

COrrosio dentium, The Corrosion of the Teeth, is a diminution of their magnitude, from causes that eat through them, so that they are broken, fall forth by piece meal, the said di∣minution or corrosion, now and then, producing Fistulaes.

Now the teeth are corroded or eaten in by an acride and thin humor penetrating by a plen∣teous and frequent defluxion even to their roots, and being there contained, it putrifies; and be∣coming more acrid, it doth not only draw the teeth into the contagion of its putrefaction, but also perforates and corrodes them; the putre∣faction may be corrected, if after general medi∣cines, you put oil of Vitriol into the hole of the eaten tooth; or else, if you burn the tooth it self to the root with a small iron Wier, being red hot; you may thrust this hot Iron through a pipe or cane made for the same purpose, lest it should harm any sound part by the touch there∣of; and thus the putrefaction, the cause of the e∣rosion, may be stayed.

Moreover, corruption may be carefully pre∣vented

by cleansing of the teeth (with a pen∣knife) from meats that stick betwixt them; and likewise by washing the mouth with Wine: Also here are commended the little round balls of Trallianus, ex opii Thebaici, ℈ i. myrrhae, styracis calam. ana, ʒ ss. Piperis albi, croci, galbani, ana, ʒ i. cum melle scillitico conformati, & denti inserti.

Worms breeding by putrefaction in the roots of the teeth may be killed by the use of Cau∣sticks, by Garglings or Lotions made of Vinegar, wherein either Pellitory of Spain hath been stee∣ped, or Treacle dissolved; for the same purpose Aloes and Garlick are good to be used.

A Fistula is hardly to be cured, unless that the tooth be wholly pulled out by the roots: For although the corrupt and rotten filth which insensibly distills by little and little (& qui inter∣dum in os cum foetore influit) may by the use of Medicines seem to be removed, and the Fistula cured, yet it will soon break out again: But now that the tooth may be the better drawn forth, it may be well rubbed with the fat of green Frogs living in trees.

Petrus Pachequus was wont to fill hollow teeth with Turpentine, and then to burn them with a red-hot iron, which succeeded very happily.