64 ON THE REMOVAL OF THE 



I have myself only met with one case of serious 

 difficulty. It was the case of a little girl, on ex- 

 amination of whose teeth I found the right upper 

 first molar without a crown, the posterior hicuspid 

 developing itself in close proximity, so close that I 

 saw at once the danger of interfering in the case, for 

 I knew that if an irregularity were present in the 

 fangs of the first molar, I must of necessity remove 

 the bicuspid in my endeavour to dislodge them. 



Unfortunately the molar proved to have two 

 fangs, one broad and fiat, the resistance to remove 

 which was far greater than the resistance necessary 

 to remove the bicuspid the last-named tooth was 

 therefore necessarily sacrificed; but the casts at 

 present in my possession prove the correctness of 

 my interference. As soon as the arch in this case is 

 complete by the development of the wisdom teeth, 

 it is my intention to lay a cast of it before this 

 Society, with a few remarks. I may mention that 

 since my own case, I have seen a similar one in the 

 son of one of our medical men. In this last case 

 I fear, in addition to the loss of the bicuspid, there 

 was too free use made of the elevator, for there is a 

 very large gap between the first bicuspid and second 

 molar, with an accompanying loss of the alveolus. 

 The opposite molar I removed, and the result has 

 been most perfect. I may here remark, that while 

 an elevator of proper form and in careful hands is 

 a most valuable instrument, if of improper form 

 and in careless hands, it is about the most dan- 



