A Cure for the Toothach.
The toothache is rendered more distressing, if ⟨not⟩ more acute, by there being no commiseration ⟨for⟩ the wretchedness it oecasions. The belief in ⟨this⟩, and a keen recollection of bodily and mental ⟨sufferings⟩, have produced the following little narrative :—
Some years ago, a tremendous tooth, with three ⟨enormous⟩ prongs, eonfined me to my room, and ⟨irritated⟩ me to a state little short of distraetion. With my head tied up in a bandana ⟨handkerchief⟩, both hands on my afflicted jaw, I sat ⟨swaying⟩ my body to and fro, as if endeavouring to ⟨calm⟩ a fractious infant; at other times I stamped ⟨about⟩ like a lunatic, or plunged about like a frog ⟨swimming⟩. Being at lcngth reduced to a state ⟨of⟩ exhaustion, I was anxious to retreat from all ⟨intercourse⟩ with the world; yet knock after ⟨knock⟩ at the door continued, as if only to increase ⟨my⟩ already excessive nervous irritability. Many ⟨of⟩ the persons I had no desirc to see, but some ⟨were⟩ those interwoven with my professional ⟨pursuits⟩, and I was compelled to be at home. I had (illegible text)o account for my disconsolate appearanec—to ⟨describe⟩ my tormenting pangs, till I was weary ⟨speaking⟩ upon the subject. To all of my fervid ⟨descriptions⟩, I received the eold remark, and the ⟨chilling⟩ advice, that it was only the toochach, ⟨and⟩ that I had better have it extracted. At this ⟨time⟩, the salivary glands were pouring their fluids ⟨into⟩ my mouth, the gastric juices were wasting
