[Reference relationships between human and animal in Hildegard von Bingen].

In "De animalibus", the 7th book in the "Liber simplicis medicinae", Hildegard von Bingen describes the characteristics of four-footed land animals. Some of these have a special relationship with humans in that they embody moral qualities. An explanation for this is already given in the preface, which states that human intelligence recognizes these qualities, declaring that "You are this or that sort of creature".

[Scabies and the significance of "suriones" in the handwritten manuscripts of Hildegard von Bingen].

In her studies on nature and medicine, the "Liber simplicis medicinae" (LSM or "Physica") and the "Liber compositae medicinae" (LCM or "Causae et Curae"), Hildegard von Bingen mentions Scabies (mange) in several passages. She characterizes "suren aut (= or) sneuelzen" as the cause of the disease, which she calls also "gracillimi vermiculi", that is, tiny worms that burrow into the human skin ("ubi suren aut sneuelzen hominem comedendo ledunt"). In this context the meanings of the German-ancestor terms "suren aut sneuelzen", which are found in the Latin text concerning the "Alia Mynza", are still disputed.

[Hildegards von Bingen 'Liber simplicis medicinae' in the Mainz 'Garden of Health'].

The "Garden of Health" (Gart der Gesundheit) is the first illustrated book of herbs in German language. Its author, Johann Wonnecke from Kaub on the Rhine, was born in 1430 and worked as a city doctor in Frankfurt/Main until his death in 1503 or 1504. In his book, he refers to "proven Greek, Latin and Arabic masters of medicine" (bewerte meister in der artzeney), whose writings he was instructed to collect by Bernard von Breidenbach in 1480.

Vital fluorescence to assess in vitro and in vivo the antibacterial effects of amalgams.

The aim of the present study was to establish an alternative methodology for testing the antibacterial effects of different amalgams. The vitality of mutans streptococci grown in vitro on various amalgam surfaces was monitored with a vital fluorescence staining technique using fluorescein diacetate and ethidium bromide. The in vivo effect of amalgam-non-gamma 2 fillings on the vitality of dental plaque was assessed with the same method and compared with samples originating from enamel.

Antibacterial effects of amalgams on mutans streptococci in an in vitro biofilm test procedure.

Conflicting data continue to be presented in the literature regarding the antibacterial potential of various amalgam alloy compositions. The aim of the present study was to compare the antibacterial effects of 4 different amalgam samples on mutans streptococci using two in vitro test procedures. Glass and bovine enamel served as negative controls.

[Tooth protecting chewing gum tablets for lessening caries risk].

This study examines whether the regular use of sugar-free chewing gum can improve oral hygiene and therefore reduce the risk of caries. During a four-week test, twenty subjects chewed a piece of gum twice a day for thirty minutes after meals. At the start, after two weeks, and at the end of the test period, the plaque and gingiva indices were recorded and the buffer capacity and secretion rate of the saliva determined.

[Clinical test of two toothpastes of different composition].

In two series of clinical tests, the effect of two toothpastes of differing formulation were examined in respect of their plaque removal efficiency and their influence on inflammatory reactions of the periodontal margin. The remarkable improvements in the oral health of a group of "non-dentists" compared to "dentists" are certainly attributable to personal motivation and instruction on oral hygiene with brush and toothpaste, but also to the formulation of the paste which may have influenced these results.

[The historical development of amalgams].

Since the 7th C and certainly in the 16th C, metal mixtures were used to fill teeth in China and in Germany. Alchemistic symbols and recipes for amalgam are found in medieval texts. The development of this type of filling was influenced by the French and the English in the 18th C.

[Indications for the use of amalgam and the importance of cavity preparation].

The range of indications for amalgam includes class I cavities, when the occlusal carious lesions do not permit "extended fissure sealing," and similar class II cavities. Amalgam is not usable for class III and IV cavities in visible areas of the anterior teeth for aesthetic reasons. The standard rules for the class V preparation are also unreservedly valid for the preferred use of composite filling materials.