A lot of interesting, do-it-yourself items were published in newspapers during the Civil War including the following recipe for toothpowder.
I am placing this recipe here for historical purposes. I personally do not recommend heading outdoors to burn up and grind down a horn to create your own tooth powder.
As for the borax, I just learned that some toothpastes bought at the grocery store contains borax.
Prevention Tooth Powder From 1861
By a careful use of the following toothpowder, frequent causes of early loss of teeth will be prevented.
Take four ounces of burnt horn, two ounces of orris root powder, one ounce of powdered myrrh, half an ounce of powdered borax, and half an ounce of cochineal.
In mixing the ingredients, it is very necessary that the cochineal be thoroughly triturated with the burnt horn, prior to the addition of the other ingredients. This will require nearly an hour’s careful rubbing in a mortar, and it is only complete when the color of the mixture assumes a lavender hue, which color is the best criterion of perfect blending.
Finally, mix in the other powders, together with one dacha of otto of cloves; then preserve for use in stoppered bottles.
The proportions given in this recipe may of course be divided into any quantity desired.
Source: The Cecil Whig. (Elkton, Md.), 21 Sept. 1861.
