262 ANCHYLOSIS OP THE JAW. 



him to see once more a resident surgeon. The 

 gentleman she consented to consult had previously 

 attended her, and I am not aware whether he did 

 or did not object to an operation ; but he did not 

 seem much inclined to undertake to remove the 

 band, probably because the patient herself was at 

 the time in a very highly nervous condition ; so 

 he substituted a mechanical contrivance, but for 

 what object I cannot opine, as any force which 

 could be applied without immediate danger would 

 not have cured the anchylosis, so long as the 

 resisting cartilaginous band remained. 



This instrument I subsequently inspected. It 

 was of a wedge-form, being made of two steel por- 

 tions, graduated so as to be flat and thinnest at 

 the edges. These flat ends were perforated with 

 holes for the purpose of being covered with white 

 kid leather. A screw was placed so as to pass 

 through the upper half of the wedge, to terminate 

 into a cup'like female screw afiixed to the inner 

 part of the lower half of it, and so contrived that 

 the space between the edges of the wedge could 

 be enlarged at the will of the patient, the edges of 

 which were inserted or rather forced between the 

 front teeth. (See drawing.) 



Mrs. persevered for two months in using 



this instrument, until she experienced great agony, 

 and not finding the slightest improvement, she 

 abandoned its use altogether ; and when the effect 

 of the strong resisting band is taken into coii- 



