THE MOUTH, AND ITS TREATMENT. 277 



far as my experience goes, generally confined to 

 young persons of a robust and plethoric habit. 

 All causes of local irritation should at the same 

 time be searched for and, if possible, removed. I 

 have known periostitis of the upper incisor teeth 

 induced by the lower incisors continually striking 

 them behind during the act of mastication, in con- 

 sequence of the absence of molar teeth. In such 

 a case no amount of physic mil avail if the front 

 teeth of the two jaws are not kept from coming into 

 contact by supplying the lost molars. The ex- 

 citing local cause will often be momentary, and' 

 when we see the patient it will not exist ; such, 

 for instance, is a violent blow, which is among the 

 most frequent of the exciting causes of periostitis 

 in the front teeth. But inasmuch as the effects 

 which follow such a cause vary so widely, in one 

 producing little or no after- suffering, whilst in 

 another the most severe symptoms will supervene, 

 it is well to search for any constitutional pecu- 

 liarities of the patient, and to regulate the treat- 

 ment thereby. The following case wiU illustrate 

 this remark. 



March 3rd, 1859. — I saw a young gentleman 

 who was complaining of an intense pain in his 

 lower front teeth, which for four nights had pre- 

 vented his sleeping at night, the pain being much 

 more severe than by day. I found the parts so 

 sensitive that he could scarcely bear to have the 

 lip withdrawn for the purpose of examination. 



