SYPHILIS ON THE TEETH. 103 



the development and future condition of the 

 teeth ; and Fig. 8, Plate II., shows the teeth of a 

 patient, not syphiUtic, who had taken much mer- 

 cury during infancy. The teeth are bad-coloured, 

 marked with shallow horizontal grooves, and 

 slightly pitted near their edges. Fig. 5, Plate II., 

 are also, probably, of the same type. I shall 

 conclude this paper with a short report of the 

 observations made by my friend Mr. Coleman, 

 quite independently of my own. 



1. " The period of the first dentition. — Although 

 the time of cutting the first teeth varies consider- 

 ably, yet, fi:*om the calculations of writers upon the 

 subject, it appears that the central incisors may 

 be looked for about seven months after birth. 

 Out of eleven of these syphilitic cases, in which I 

 was able to obtain information on this point, two 

 had their teeth at birth ; one when a few weeks 

 old ; two about two months after birth ; two about 

 the usual time ; the remainder very late. 



2. " The form of the permanent teeth. — They 

 are universally small; for although the alveolar 

 arches are decidedly below the average size, there 

 are in most instances considerable spaces between 

 the teeth : the latter are also more round in form, 

 resembling little pegs projecting from the gum. 

 The upper central incisors of most have a deep 

 notch in their cutting surface, giving this portion 

 of the tooth a tuberculated appearance. In many 

 cases the teeth are much worn, from mastication, 



