Class I. 2. 4. 13. OF IRRITATION. n 9 



belladonna are laid to have been fuccefsful. See Cephalsea idio- 

 pathic. 



13. Odontalgia. Tooth-ach. The pain has been erroneoufly 

 fuppofed, where there is no inflammation, to be owing to fome 

 acrid matter from a carious tooth Simulating the membrane of 

 the alveolar procefs into violent a£tion and confequent pain ; 

 but the effect feems to have been miftaken for the caufe, and 

 the decay of the tooth to have been occasioned by the torpor 

 and consequent pain of the difeafed membrane. 



Firft, becaufe the pain precedes the decay of the tooth in re- 

 gard to time, and is liable to recur, frequently for years, without 

 certainly being Succeeded at laft by a carious tooth, as I have 

 repeatedly ebferved. 



Secondly, becaufe any ftimulant drag, as pyrethrum, or oil of 

 cloves, applied to the tooth, or ether applied externally to the 

 cheek, is fo far from increasing the pain, as it would do if the: 

 pained membrane already acted too Strongly, that it frequently 

 gives immediate relief like a charm. 



And thirdly, becaufe the torpor, or deficient action of the 

 membrane, which includes the difeafed tooth, occafions the mo- 

 tions of the membranes moft connected with it, as thofe of the 

 cheek and temples, to act with lefs than their natural energy ; 

 and hence a coldnefs of the cheek is perceived eafily by the hand 

 of the patient, comparing it with the other cheek ; and the pain 

 of hemicrania is often produced in the temple of the affected fide. 



This coldnefs of the cheek in common tooth-ach evinces, that 

 the pain is not then caufed by inflammation ; becaufe in all in- 

 flammations fo much heat is produced in the fecretions of new 

 veffels and fluids, as to give heat to the parts in the vicinity. 

 And hence, as feen as the gum fwells and inflames along with 

 the cheek, heat is produced, and the pain ceaies, owing to the 

 increafed exertions of the torpid membrane, excited by the ac- 

 tivity of the fenforiai power of fenfation ; which previouily exit- 

 ed in its paflive (late in the painful torpid membrane. See 

 Odontitis, Clafs II. 1.4. 7. and IV. 2. 2. 8. 



M. M. If the painful tooth be found, venefection. Then a 

 cathartic. Afterwards two grains of opium. Camphor and 

 opium, one grain of each held in the mouth ; or a drop or two 

 of oil of cloves put on the painful tooth. Ether. If the tooth 

 has a fmall hole in it, this mould be widened within by an inftru- 

 rr.ent, and then (topped with leaf-gold, or leaf-lead •, but the tooth 

 fhoukl be extracted, if much decayed. It is probable that half a 

 finall drop of a ftrong folution of urfenic, put carefully into the 

 hollow of a decayed aching tooth, would deftroy the nerve with- 

 out giving any additional pain - 9 but this experiment requires 



great 



