AVITH THE ALVEOLUS. 69 



As it is interesting to have the experience of 

 different authors, I will refer you to a case given 

 by Dr. Harris in his work on Dental Surgery 

 (p. 405). 



Mr. Bell in writing on this subject, remarks, 

 *' The cases are so rare in which any degree of 

 comfort will succeed the replacement of a tooth 

 which has been even slightly dislodged from its 

 attachment to the alveolus, that no decided pro- 

 spect of a cure ought ever to be held out to the 

 patient.*' He then describes a case in which he 

 replaced a tooth which had been partially dis- 

 lodged ; a year afterwards it was perfectly firm, 

 but continued to be tender. Subsequently the gum 

 and alveolar process were considerably absorbed, 

 and the removal of the tooth became necessary. 



Mr. Tomes takes a much more hopeful view of 

 the operation than the authors just quoted. 



The success which attended Hunter's well- 

 known experiment of placing a newly- extracted 

 tooth in a slit cut in the comb of a cock, induced 

 some dentists in his time to attempt the trans- 

 planting teeth from the mouth of one person to 

 that of another ; and although I am assured that 

 the operation was successfully performed by Talma 

 in many instances, the well-known variations in 

 the size and form of roots of teeth in different 

 individuals must alone at all times make success 

 exceedingly doubtful. This, together with the risk 

 of inoculation, and the moral wrong done to 



