Page:Personal beauty how to cultivate and preserve it in accordance with the laws of health (1870).djvu/139

 and then, out of pique at some slight from the court, starved himself to death!

When the gums are tender, or the teeth show a tendency to decay, or the breath is fetid, a mouth-wash should be used several times a day, and on retiring. The best of these are spirits of camphor, half a teaspoonful in a wineglass of water: the same amount of honey-of-roses (Mel rosarum, U. S. P.) to the water: a teaspoonful of pure French brandy, or of a mixture of equal parts of tincture of myrrh and compound tincture of cinchona, in the same quantity of water. The temperature of all washes, and all fluids used in cleansing the mouth, should be near that of the body.

There are certain substances which are used as preservatives of the teeth. The best is wood charcoal, especially that of the areca nut, in an impalpable powder. This nut is brought from Java, and its charcoal in powder is probably the best dentifrice in the world. It sweetens the breath, strengthens and whitens the teeth, removes the tartar, prevents toothache, and gives the gums and lips an attractive red color. Unfortunately, the supply is limited, and nine-tenths of that sold as areca-nut charcoal is made from willow wood. About as much of the charcoal should be used as can be held on the point of a knife. It should be placed in the month on retiring at night, and gently rubbed into the interstices of the teeth. In the morning it is to be carefully rinsed out. The only objection to