ork however, and bands of gold
instead of wire are used for holding artificial teeth in place. Guerini,
whose "History of Dentistry" is the standard work on the subject, on a
commission from the Italian government, carefully studied these
specimens of Etruscan dental work in the museums of Italy, and has made
some interesting observations on them. In one specimen, which is
especially notable, two incisor teeth are replaced by a single tooth
from a calf. This was grooved in such a way as to make it seem like two
separate teeth. Guerini suggests a very interesting and quite unexpected
source for this. While examining the specimen he wondered where the old
Etruscan dentist had obtained a calf's tooth without a trace of wear on
it. He came to the conclusion that he must have cut into the gums of a
young calf before the permanent tooth was erupted in order to get this
structure absolutely unworn for his purpose. A number of examples of
bridgework have been found in the old Etruscan tombs. The dates of their
construction are probably not later than 500 B.C., and some of them are
perhaps earlier than 700 B.C.

The Etruscans affected the old Romans in the matter of dentistry, so
that it is easy to understand the passage in the "Laws of the Twelve
Tables," issued about 450 B.C., which, while forbidding the burial of
gold with corpses, made a special exception for such gold as was
fastened to the teeth. Gold was rare at Rome, and care was exercised not
to allow any unnecessary decrease of the visible supply almost in the
same way as governments now protect their gold reserves. It may seem
like comparing little things with great, but the underlying principle is
the same. Hence this special law and its quite natural exception.

In Pope Julius' Museum in Rome there is a specimen of a gold cap made of
two plates of gold riveted together and also riveted to bands of metal
which were fastened around the neighboring teeth in order to hold the
cap in place. This is from later Republican times at Rome. At the end of
the Republic and the beginning of the Empire there appear to have been
many forms of dental appliances. Martial says that the reason why one
lady's teeth--whose name he does not conceal--are white and
another's--name also given--were dark, was that the first one bought
hers and the second still had her own. In another satiric poem he
describes an elderly woman as so much frightened that when she ran away
her teeth fell out, w