“The filth of the tail of sheep rolled up in little balls, and left to dry and then reduced to powder and rubbed on the teeth, is marvellously useful against the loosening and other diseases of the teeth themselves and against the cankerous ulcers of the gums.”[142] “Eggshells deprived of their internal membrane and afterward burnt afford a good dentifrice.”[143] (Hence we see that the use of carbonate of lime as a dentifrice is a very ancient one.) “If the head of a dog that has died mad be burnt, the ashes obtained may be advantageously used against toothache, mixing it with cyprine oil and then dropping the mixture into the ear, on the side of the pain. It is beneficial also to pick the sick tooth with the longest tooth, on the left side, of a dog; or with the frontal bones of a lizard, taken from the head of the animal at full moon, and which have not touched the earth. The teeth of a dog, boiled in wine until this is reduced to one-half, thus, furnish a mouth wash which can be advantageously used against toothache. In the cases of difficult dentition, benefit is derived by rubbing the gums with the ashes of the teeth of a dog, mixed with honey. Such ashes are also used as a dentifrice. In hollow teeth it is useful to introduce the ashes of the dung of mice, or of the dried liver of lizards. It is the opinion of some, that in order not to be subject to toothache, a mouse should be eaten twice a month. If earth-worms be cooked in oil, this latter has the virtue of calming toothache when dropped into the ear on the side of the pain. The same effect is obtained by rubbing the teeth with the ashes of the aforesaid worms, after they have been burnt in a terra-cotta vase; and if such ashes be introduced into the hollow teeth, these fall out very easily. A good remedy against toothache is to wash the mouth with vinegar of squills in which earth-worms and the root of the mulberry have been boiled. The ashes of the shells of snails mixed with myrrh, rubbed on the gums, strengthens them. Even the slough which the snakes cast off in spring can furnish a remedy against toothache. For this purpose it must be boiled in oil, with the addition of resin of the larch, and then the oil dropped into the ear. For the same purpose, according to some, oil of roses is useful, when a spider, caught with the left hand, has been pounded in it. If a sparrow’s fledglings be burnt with dry vine twigs, the resulting ashes rubbed with vinegar on the teeth makes all pain cease in them.[144] It is stated by many that to improve the odor of the breath, it is well to rub the teeth with ashes of mice mixed with honey. Some also mingle with this the root of fennel. Picking the teeth with the quill of a vulture renders the breath sour. It makes the teeth firm to pick them with a porcupine’s quill. A decoction of swallows in wine sweetened with honey cures ulcers of the tongue and lips. Scaldings in the mouth produced by hot food or drinks are readily healed with the milk of a