When there is a large carious hollow in the tooth to be extracted, Celsus recommends that it should first be filled up either with lint or with lead, in order to prevent the tooth from breaking under the pressure of the instrument. “The latter,” he continues, “must be made to act in a straight direction, in order to avoid fracture of the bone. The danger of fracture is still greater in the case of short teeth; often the forceps, not being able to grasp the tooth well, takes hold of the bone with it and fractures the latter. When after the extraction of a tooth much blood flows from the wound, this indicates that some part of the bone has been broken. It is necessary then to search for the detached piece of bone with the probe and to extract it with the forceps. If this be not successful, an incision must be made in the gums just as large as is necessary for the extraction of the fragment. When this is not taken out, it often happens that the jaw swells in such a manner as to prevent the patient from opening his mouth. In such a case it is necessary to apply to the cheek a hot cataplasm of flour and figs, so as to induce suppuration, after which the gums must be lanced and the splinter of bone extracted.” When the teeth show blackish stains, Celsus advises such stains to be scraped away, and the teeth afterward to be rubbed with a mixture of pounded rose leaves, gall-nuts, and myrrh, and the mouth to be frequently washed with pure wine. It is necessary besides, says the author, to keep the head well covered, to walk a great deal, and to partake of no acid food. “If by effect of a blow or other accident some of the teeth become loose, it is necessary to bind them with gold wire to the neighboring firm teeth, and besides to keep in the mouth astringent substances, for example, wine in which the rind of pomegranates has been boiled, or into which some burning hot gall-nuts have been thrown.” “When in a child a permanent tooth appears before the fall of the milk tooth, it is necessary to dissect the gum all around the latter and extract it; the other tooth must then be pushed with the finger, day by day, toward the place that was occupied by the one extracted; and this is to be done until it has firmly reached its right position.” “Now and again it happens that when a tooth is pulled out its root remains in the socket; it is then necessary to extract it at once, with the forceps adapted for the purpose, called by the Greeks _rizagra_.” The last book of the work of Celsus treats chiefly of fractures and dislocations. In the first chapter the position and form of the bones of the whole human body are described, although not very exactly. Speaking of the teeth, the author says: “The teeth are harder than the bones, and are fixed, some on the _maxilla_ (lower jaw) and some on the overhanging bone of the cheeks.”[126]