Another very interesting chapter is that which treats of the extraction of dental roots and fragments of the maxillary bone.[219]

Fig. 41

Fig. 42

Forceps for extracting the root when the tooth breaks in the extraction. These figures are evidently very badly drawn, as are most of the figures to be seen in Abulcasis’ work.

When, says the author, on extracting a tooth, this breaks, so that the root remains in the socket, it is necessary first of all to soften the part, by applying for a day and a night, or for two days, some cotton wool well smeared with butter; then attempts must be made to extract the root with a pair of forceps, the jaws of which are like the beak of a pheasant or stork.

Fig. 43

Elevator to be used when the extraction of a root by means of the root forceps proves impossible (Abulcasis).