ABORIGINAL DENTISTRY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22066, 23 September 1933, Page 13

ABORIGINAL DENTISTRY

BEAUTY BY AN ORDEAL FORTITUDE IN TRIBULATION, / (From Our Own Correspondent,) SYDNEY, September 14. Those who tremble at the prospect of visiting a dentist's surgery where their tribulations are eased by anaesthetics and other aids, would be surprised at the fortitude of an aboriginal whom an Adelaide University anthropological expedition saw undergo a dental operation at the expedition’s base camp at Ernabella, Central Australia. Among the iritjantaras and Yakunjajaras, the tribes most larcelv represented near the camp site, it in the practice for one of the centre teeth in the upper jaw to be removed. Its absence, judged by aboriginal standards, is a mark of masculine beauty. . The operation takes place during early youth, the boy whom the party saw undergo it being about 14 years of age The surgery was a secluded spot at tne back of the camp, and the ceremony took place in the presence of the initiated men of the tribe. The patient, who had been unaware of what was to take place, was touched on a shoulder he sat by a camp fire and conducted to the suxgery. There he lay on his back, with his resting in turns against the thighs of two men. his tribal grandfathers, who conducted the operation. There was no anaesthetic, and none.of the pleasant preliminaries with which tactful dentists arc wont to distract the patient s thoughts from the forthcoming proceedings. The first operation partially bared the gum round the tooth with a sharp bone from a bird’s wing, which, before the ceremonv, was worn in a native 8 (< hair dress. Tricking and levering, the dentist” foiccd the gum up towards the jaw with hi 9 fingers. That process was continued with a sharpened stick, which an assistant had prepared, the patient being told at intervals in native dialect to A'inse, please.” He did so, in cold water. Another stick was broken off and bitten to a rough point, and the second operator took up the task after the fir t had continued for about 10 minutes. Finally, it was judged that the-time was ripe for the actual evulsion. Taking a stick about six inches long and half an inch in diameter, the second grandfather placed the point against the tooth to be removed, and began striking the othei end with a stone as big as a list. Halt a dozen blows were required to loosen the tooth, one stick being broken in the process. Then the operator removed the tooth by taking it between his fingers to the accompaniment of approving murmurs from the coloured audience. Throughout the operation the patient did not flinch or betray other evidence of pain, and his respiration throughout was as even as if he had been sleeping. The same Spartan-like fortitude was observed in other tribal riles, which involve the infliction of even greater pain. In some tribes it is a practice for small boys, in order to prove their scorn of pain, to place live coals on their forearms, blow them into an ardent glow and allow them to burn through the flesh, leaving scars which are retained throughout lue as a badge of courage. Failure to endure the ordeal with becoming fortitude would involve ostracism.