84 CLEFT PALATE: 



and accordingly in all the oldest works on surgery 

 I have had the time to examine, when reference is 

 made to this condition of the mouth, obturators are 

 spoken of as the only remedy. These obturators 

 are figured in several of the works, some of which, 

 for the further elucidation of this subject, I have 

 copied. 



The oldest surgical work from which I shall quote 

 for this purpose, is the one of James Gruillemeau. 

 A translation of it into English, which I have 

 the good fortune to possess, was imprinted, 1598. 

 In it are figured " two goulden roofes of the mouth, 

 which are as thin as a French crown. They are 

 composed to retain therewith the breath, from the 

 roofe of the mouth, therebye to evite the speaking 

 thro' the nose." (Plate VIII. a. b.) He remarks, 

 " There are some which cannot very well suffice 

 themselves with this plate, by reason that the gould- 

 smith cannot soe conveniently make the same, that 

 it equally of all sides doe touch the palate of the 

 mouth, so that instead therefore the}" use a tent 

 made of lint or sponge, to the which intente there are 

 divers which are provided of them, because that if 

 the one fell out they incontinently have another in 

 readiness and preparation to put therein, because 

 otherwise they should speak thro' the nose." 



The next work is that of Ambrose Pare : the 

 translation, from which I have derived the following, 

 was printed in London, in 1665, nearly a century 

 later than the last. In the chapter on filling the 



