g r fleshy sabtances in both jaws, buN roun : them firm ckets. Gums frequ sntlj ; > ;igv> n:ul separate from the teeth ; this is of) kind of crust, which is formed about them, and, on the sepa of Which, tlr gums return to their pristine state: to promote thisfa- Vourable change, they should i . . be rubbed with a mixture, consisting of four parts of an infusion of roses, and one part of the tincture of myrrh. Another disorder incident to hu- man gums is the scurvy, which Frequently breaks out on them, while it does not ap ear on any other part of the body. Indeed, when a scorbutic complaint attacks the whole system', the first symp- tom is a putrid state of the gums. Tn such e;:se, a rigid diet, consist- ing chiefly of ripe fruit and muci- laginous vegetables, will be the best corrective. Externally, a fine powder, prep ired of three parts of double -refined sugar, and one part of burnt alum, ma}' be employed for rubbing them two or three times a day ; because sugar is an excellent antiseptic, even as an arti- cle of diet : a whole ship's com- pany has been cured of a formida- ble' scurvy, by living from neces- sity, for some time, on no other aliment. GUN, or Musaar.T, in the mi- litary art, is a kind of fire-arms, or weapon of offence, which forcibly discharges a ball, or other hard and $olid substance, through a cylin- drical tube, by means of inflamed gunpowder. Although the precise time when these instruments of death were first invented, is involved in ob- scurity, yet die, introduction of QQ, VIII,—- vol. li, G V N [41? guns into the Western part of the world, i-. but of m idem d.-.t ■.
arious patents ob-
tained by gtm-rrtakers, we shall only mention I in L801, to Mr. John PaossER/ofCaaring- . London, sword-cutler, for a new -contrived water-proof pah and hammer, for gun and pistol locks. — The invention consists in applying a hammer of nearly the usual form, but instead of the com- mon plaid screw-pin round wh'-eh it revolves, and which attaches it to the stock, the patentee has sub- stituted a very large pin, of suffi- cient dimensions to allow of its being hollowed out and perforated, and in the axis of the hammer he places the pan to contain the prim- ing, and to communicate the fire to the chamber of the piece. — See also Fire-Akms. As num rous misfortunes happen with loaded guns and pistols, espe- cially to careless youth and chil- dren, we suggest the propriety of removing the Jlint every time fire- arms are carried into a house ; or never to suffer young people to touch them. Indeed, the artist who will contrive a moveable ham- mer, or at least the upper part of the hammer containing the flint, which might be easily and instantly fixed on the spur of the occasion, would be the instrument of saving many useful lives, and well de- serve to be rewarded by the public; tor all other inventions of stop- locks, &c. do not afford sufficient security. GUNPOWDER, a granulated composition of salt-petre, sulphur, and charcoal) which readily takes fire, and when secluded from the air, rarefies or expands with great vehemence, by means of its elas- tic force. E e The
