CUTTING TEETH AT AN ADVANCED AGE. 125 



lateral incisors, were well-formed teeth of the 

 second set ; therefore the great width of the right 

 central incisor did not arise from osseous union 

 with any ordinary tooth, although it might have 

 united with a supernumerary. 



The President read the following letter, in reference to the case 

 mentioned in the newspapers, of an old lady in the West of England 

 cutting two teeth at 103 years of age : — 



" Wells, Somerset, February 4, 1859. 



*' Dear Sir, — Mr. Brodrick has put into my 

 hand this morning a note from a friend of his, in 

 which he mentions that you are anxious to ascer- 

 tain some particulars relating to the case of Mrs. 

 Oxley, of this town. I have made a call upon her 

 this afternoon, with the view of learning, if pos- 

 sible, the real facts of the case. 



'' It appears that Mrs. Oxley is 95 years 

 of age; that twenty years ago she cut a tooth 

 at the back of the lower jaw, which, being very 

 painful, she had extracted shortly afterwards. 

 On examining her mouth with my finger, I found 

 a small tooth in the upper jaw, about a quarter of 

 an inch farther back than the seat of the left 

 central incisor : this she and her daughter agree 

 in saying that she cut three years ago. She 

 persists in saying that others are coming; but I 

 see no reason for thinking this to be the case, 

 from the appearance of the mouth. 



