New resources will shortly be available on the web for the history of dentistry. The Scottish Archive Network (SCAN) will launch its online catalogues on 23 October 2003. This will provide access to the holdings of nearly 50 archives in Scotland containing over 20,000 collections and will provide the opportunity of searching for sources of dental history as well as other historical topics literally at the "touch of a button". The address for SCAN is www.scan.org.uk. The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, as a participating archive, recently had the opportunity to get one of their archives scanned digitally by SCAN. As a consequence a book of 18^th century herbal remedies has been digitally captured and will shortly be available on the archive section of the College website at www.rcpsg.ac.uk/library/archives.htm. The book contains many herbal remedies for tooth-related problems including the use of the root of the mulberry tree for making teeth "fall out of themselves" and the following recipe for toothache "take ivie berries and bruse them and when you have done so boil them in strong white wine vinegar. Wash your mouth with the doction and lay the ivy berres hot to your cheek."

A resource for the history of dentistry already on the web is the "The Story of Dentistry" produced by the museum of the BDA. This is an on-line introduction to the History of Dentistry" dentistry based on the CD-ROM "Oral Histories". There are five sections covering differing periods of dental history as well as a very useful dental history timeline. It can be found at http:/www.bda-dentistry.org.uk/museum.

*Carol Parry, BA, DAA, Archivist, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow; e-mail: carol.parry@rcpsg.ac.uk

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