The next paper had on it music. I excited the organ, and he immediately commenced singing with as much earnestness as if his life depended on it.
The next paper had on it combativeness. I excited the organ; he immediately doubled his fist and pitched into an imaginary enemy in the most vigorous manner possible.
Not to take up too much space in this paper, I will only add, we went through with about twenty of the organs with equally marked results, which both pleased and astonished my friends. They said they now thought there was much more truth in the science of phrenology than they had supposed possible. I then said you have seen the effect of so-called animal magnetism; I will now exhibit a different phase of it. I magnetized him in the usual way, and said he is now as oblivious to all external impressions as if his five senses had no existence. Examine him and satisfy yourselves.
After a thorough examination, Dr. Richardson said he believed he could cut off his leg and he would not feel it. I demagnetized him, which restored him to full consciousness. They questioned him about it. He said he did not remember anything done in that state. They then said if it was practicable it would be a good thing in surgical operations. They thanked me for the pleasure of witnessing the experiments, and retired.
To understand the different nervous conditions of patients is of vast importance to both dentists and physicians. This cannot be attained without close observation and experience. If the nervous temperament of a patient is known, we shall have a key to guide us in our treatment in every individual case. Temperament is usually divided into six distinct classes:
1st. Nervous bilious; 2d. Nervous sanguine; 3d. Nervous lymphatic; 4th. Bilious nervous; 5th. Sanguine nervous; 6th. Lymphatic nervous.
You have doubtless observed a difference in the quality of human teeth. We usually find the best in the nervous bilious temperament, and the poorest in the lymphatic nervous. Viciated tastes and habits do not change the shape of the teeth when once formed, but their quality. Science demands discrimination under varied circumstances; it is not possible to treat all alike, and be equally successful. I shall refer to this again below.
I now present you with a few incidents in practice which may serve as a basis for a better elucidation of my subject:
1st. In the Fall of 1835, I was called to see a gentleman at eight P. M., represented to be suffering greatly, and unable to come to my office. I was introduced to a large man walking the floor in great agony. Seating him in a chair, I found the left side of the face swollen; a purple colored spot over the antrum; the first molar on the left upper jaw filled with gold; tooth firm, but evidently devitalized. I diagnosed the trouble to be abscess in the antrum. I extracted the tooth; he sprung out of the chair and dropped on the floor, face downwards, and quivered like an ox struck on the head with an ax. I used cold water freely to his head, and soon brought him to; placed him back in the chair; made a free passage through the front labial socket into the antrum, and the pus flowed freely. He then laid down on the bed much relieved; gave him a half grain of opium; waited about twenty minutes and injected the antrum with warm green tea; directed his head to be kept cool with cloths wet with cold water; left him with a promise to call again in a few hours; called again about three P. M.; was told he had been sleeping several hours; I injected the antrum with a weak solution of nitrate of silver; saw him the next morning and again injected the antrum with a much stronger solution of nitrate of silver; the swollen cheek appeared almost natural; said if he needed my service any more to come to my office. About a week later he called on me; brought me a sack; said a few hours before that he blowed it out through the left nostril; it was about one and a fourth-inch long, and about the size of an ordinary goose-quill; it was soft with a leathery like appearance; said he was all right; paid his bill; have not seen him since.