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CHAP. XXVIII. Of cleansing the Teeth.
PIeces of meat in eating sometimes stick between the teeth,* 1.1 and becoming corrupt by long staying there, do also hurt the teeth themselves, and spoil the sweetness of the breath. He that would eschew this, ought presently after meat, to wash his mouth with wine mixed with water, or oxycrate, and well to cleanse his teeth, that no slimie matter adhere to them. Many folks teeth by their own default gather an earthy filth of a yellowish colour, which eats into them by little and little, as rust eats into iron. This rustie filthiness, or as it were mouldiness of the teeth, doth also oft-times grow by the omitting of their proper duty, that is, of chawing. Whence soever this slimie filth pro∣ceeds, we must get Dentifrices to fetch it off withall,* 1.2 and then the teeth must be presently rubbed with aqua fortis and aqua vitae mixed together, that if there be any thing that hath scaped the Dentifrices, it may be all fetched off;* 1.3 yet such acrid washings are hurtful to the sound teeth, for that they by little and little consume and waste the flesh of the gums.
Dentifrices shall be made of the root of marsh-mallows boiled in white wine and allom; and, as when the teeth are loose, we must abstain from such things as are hard to be eaten and chawed, but much more from breaking of such things as are of a bonie consistence, so also here we must shun all things that by theit toughness stick to the teeth. Many for the cleansing of the teeth, commend a powder made of scuttle-bones, purple-shells, pumice-stone, burnt allom, and Hart's-horn, and a little cinnamon, which is a singular remedie for the teeth howsoever affected. Many other are content with bread only tosted and beaten; but this following water is very effectual to whiten the teeth. ℞. sal. ammon. & gemmei,* 1.4 an. ℥i. alum. r••ch. ℥ ss. aquae ros. quod sufficit, distillentur. And let the teeth be cleansed with this distilled liquor.