“When toothache depends upon cold, or if there exist some worm in the tooth, and the medicaments are of no use, recourse must be made to cauterization, which in such cases may be performed in two ways, viz., either by means of butter or with a cautery. Desiring to use butter, some of it must be warmed in an iron or copper spoon; a little cotton must then be wrapped around the extremity of a probe, dipped into the boiling butter, and then immediately applied to the tooth, keeping it there in contact until it has cooled. This must be repeated several times, so that the action of the heat reaches right down to the root of the tooth. If thou preferest, thou canst use cold butter, applied to the aching tooth by means of a little tuft of wool or cotton, upon which thou shalt lay a red-hot iron; prolonging the application of this until the heat has reached the very root of the tooth. “To perform the cauterization directly with the iron, thou must first rest on the tooth a small tube of iron or copper, designed to preserve the neighboring parts from the action of the heat, and which must, therefore, be of sufficient thickness. Through such a tube thou shalt apply on the tooth a cautery of the shape given here below, and shalt keep it there until it is cooled. This thou shalt do several times. The pain will cease the same day or on the morrow. It is, however, necessary that after the cauterization the patient should keep his mouth, for an hour, full of good butter. The shape of the cautery is as follows (Fig. 34): Thou canst perform the cauterization with one or other of its two extremities, as is most convenient.”[208] In regard to epulis, Abulcasis prescribes that after catching hold of the little tumor with a hook or a vulsella its complete excision should be performed. This done, one must wait awhile, until the hemorrhage ceases, and then either a little “zegi” pulverized,[209] or other drying and styptic powder, must be applied on the part. If the epulis recurs, which very often happens, the excision must be repeated and this followed by cauterization, since after this latter the evil will not return.[210] Abulcasis is the first author who has taken into serious consideration dental tartar and who has recommended that a scrupulous cleansing of the teeth should be performed. The chapter relating to this, “On the Scraping of the Teeth,” is very interesting and is worthy of being here reproduced.[211] [Illustration: FIG. 34 Abulcasis’ dental cautery and the tube through which it was applied, in order to preserve the neighboring parts from the action of the heat.]