FOUR PERMANENT FIRST MOLARS. 61 



sometimes necessary to have recourse to mechanical 

 assistance in order to ohtain space for the eye-teeth. 

 Fig. 1, in second case, points out a case where such 

 assistance was necessary. 



Before having recourse to mechanism, however, 

 it is well to see that the eye-teeth are not retained 

 in a mal-position by a callous state of the gum. I 

 knew one case in which a young person had her 

 anterior bicuspides removed, and for some months 

 every effort was made in vain to place the eye- 

 teeth in position by mechanical means. At last my 

 father was consulted, and on inspection he found 

 the crowns of the teeth surrounded by a band of 

 thickened gum. On removing this, the teeth fell at 

 once into their normal position without any further 

 care or trouble. The band of gum on removal 

 was found to be quite like gristle, it was so hard. 



I do not think it necessary before this Society to 

 dwell upon the remaining advantages I have 

 ascribed to the practice I am advocating. Pro- 

 fessional men will at once recognise their force. 

 They are familiar with the fact that a roomy arch 

 is more likely to be healthy than an over- crowded 

 one, and is certainly more easily treated when the 

 teeth are affected by caries. The question really at 

 issue is, how are over-crowded arches most effectually 

 and most safely relieved? and the cases I have 

 brought forward in support of my view are sufficient, 

 I think, to justify the course I am advocating. 



