The Black Book of Secrets Part 17

Finally, we cannot finish without mention of Barton Gumbroot, the notorious tooth surgeon of Old Goat's Alley. Tooth rot was a serious problem in Ludlow's day and dentistry was a less sophisticated and more brutal affair than it is now. False teeth were available in a wide range of materials, including hippopotamus and walrus teeth, elephant ivory and of course human teeth. There was also the option of a tooth transplant (as Ludlow found out). It had been discovered that when transplanting a tooth, the fresher the donor tooth the better chance it had of taking root in the receiving gum. Widespread poverty meant there were those willing to surrender teeth for money but, unfortunately for Ludlow, Barton Gumbroot didn't always wait for willing volunteers. Jeremiah had thought to sell corpses' teeth at one stage but, unsurprisingly, such teeth failed to take.

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