The ancient Chinese wrapped tiny pieces of parchment around painful teeth, all of which contained written prayers and incantations.
This is one of those broadly circulated “facts” that makes me wonder. . . .
Have you ever tried to wrap floss around a tooth, let alone parchment? I’m guessing the only way parchment — and string — might easily work is if the adjacent teeth were missing. Maybe if they had flossed first, they wouldn’t be missing teeth and wouldn’t have to worry about incantations.
Teeth are not that big. Did these ancient Chinese have microfiche? I mean, how did they get entire prayers on a small piece of parchment? Unless, the prayer was “Help!”
Have you ever considered what happens to parchment when it gets wet? Since it is made from animal skin, I’m guessing it reverts to rawhide.
Just sayin’ —
And that’s why it’s important to remember Weird Dental “Facts” is here for your entertainment value! Some of the trivia on these pages are certainly true. Some . . . we just can’t be sure about.
