CASE OP TRISMUS* 53 



man will, I think, be quite able to resume his 

 usual calling. 



Mr. Seecombe communicated the following Case : — 



A lady in the lying-in chamber suffered violently 

 from toothache. Her medical attendant did not 

 extract the tooth — the wisdom tooth on the right 

 side. The pain increased, and shortly afterwards 

 a great swelling appeared underneath the jaw. 

 He thought an abscess had formed, and made an 

 opening about the angle of the jaw to let out the 

 pus, but none escaped, and within a short time 

 the abscess burst into the throat. The swelling 

 was so great that the patient could not open her 

 mouth. It was presumed, however, that as the 

 abscess healed, she would be able to do so ; but 

 when the abscess did heal, after a considerable 

 time, the mouth was quite fixed. It was indeed a 

 case of trismus, and the patient was unable to 

 take solid food. After recovering from her 

 accouchement, efforts were made to extend the 

 jaw, but in vain ; for, with the greatest possible 

 amount of force that could be exerted safely, the 

 jaw could only be opened three- sixteenths of an 

 inch. Under those circumstances it was thought 

 desirable to extract the wisdom tooth, if possible. 

 The patient was taken to York, but the dentist 

 said it was impossible to tp,ke out the tooth, as the 

 jaw could only be opened so slightly. The lady 

 afterwards came under my care. At first I 



