366 OPERATION OF RISODONTEYPY. 



said he had not felt any pain until the previous 

 day ; and then, to use his own words, he " was 

 sensible the tooth was there.'' He had lately 

 recovered from influenza, coupled with some 

 stomach disturbance, which, no doubt, induced 

 the pulp to take on an irritable action. 



We all know how mortifying, both to patient 

 and operator, it is, after a tooth has been under 

 treatment for some time, and filled to all appear- 

 ance successfully, for such a state of things to 

 arise. 



I prescribed three leeches to the gum, and an 

 aperient of Pil. Hydrarg., Ext. Hyoscyam., and 

 Ext. Oolocynth. comp., and dismissed him until 

 the following day. 



April 5th. — Both leeches and pills did their 

 duty well, but without ameliorating the symp- 

 toms ; the tooth was now tender on pressure, 

 combined with slight but constant uneasiness. 

 I now saw clearly that if something was not done 

 promptly to relieve the tension of the pulp, it 

 would suppurate, and the tooth would be lost. I 

 was disinclined to remove the filling, as it was 

 perfect. 



Under these circumstances, I determined to 

 perform the late Dr. Hullihen's operation of 

 risodontrypy. At the terminal line of enamel at 

 the neck of the tooth, 1 entered a spear-like drill, 

 and carefully drilled through its substance until 

 I reached the pulp cavity, which I knew from the 



