224 DISEASES Class II. i. 4 . 7. 



took the above medicines internally, and bliftered her face by de- 

 grees all over, and became quite beautiful. A fpot or two now 

 and then appeared, and on this account ihe frequently ilept with 

 parts of her face covered with mercurial plafter, made without 

 turpentine, which was held on by a pafteboard maik, and taken 

 off in the mornings ; if any part of the plafter adhered, a little 

 butter or oil defcroyed the adhefion. If there be turpentine, or 

 any other native balfam, mixed with the mercurial plafter, it is 

 very liable much to inflame the face (I fuppofe like the balfam of 

 Mecca) j but if a (mail quantity of flour of brimftone be added, 

 I believe it will readily mix. As a mercurial ointment is faid 

 to be quickly made by adding only fix grains of flour of fulphur 

 to fix drachms of mercury, and two ounces of hog's greafe. 



7. Odontitis. Inflammatory tooth-ach is occafioned by in- 

 flammation of the membranes of the tooth, or a caries of the 

 bone itfelf. The gum fometimes fuppurates, otherwife a fwell- 

 ing of the cheek fucceeds by affociation, and thus the violence 

 of the pain in the membranes of the tooth is relieved, and fre- 

 quently cured ; and when this happens the difeafe properly be- 

 longs to Clafs IV. as it fo far refembles the tranflations of mor- 

 bid actions in the gout and rheumatifm. 



At other times the tooth dies without caries, efpecially in peo- 

 ple about fixty years of age, or before ; and then it flimulates its 

 involving membrane, like any other extraneous fubftance. The 

 membrane then becomes inflamed and thickened, occafioning 

 fome pain, and the tooth rifes upwards above the reft, and is 

 gradually pufhed out whole and undecayed ; on its rifmg up a 

 pus-like mucus is (een discharged from the gum which furrounds 

 it •, and the gum feems to have left the tooth, as the fangs or 

 roots of it are in part naked. 



M. M. Where the tooth is found it can only be faved by 

 evacuations, by venefeftion, and a cathartic ; and after its op- 

 eration two grains of opium. A blifter may alfo be ufed behind 

 the ear, and ether applied to the cheek externally. In flighter 

 cafes two grains of opium with or without as much camphor 

 may be held in the mouth, and fufrered to diflblve near the af. 

 fected tooth, and be gradually fwallowed. See Clafs I. 2. 4. 

 12. Odontalgia may be diftinguifhed from otitis by the appli- 

 cation of cold water to the affected tooth ; for as the pain of 

 common tooth-ach is owing to torpor, whatever decreafes ftimu- 

 lus adds to the torpor and confequent pain •, whereas the pain of 

 an inflamed tooth, being caufed by the increafed action of the 

 membranes of it, is in fome meafure alleviated by the applica- 

 tion of cold. 



3. Otitis. Inflammation and confequent fuppuration of fome 



membranes 



