264 Memoir upon living and fossil Elephants. 



fibres, but only laminre cased within each other: those who 

 compare it to the diploe ot: the cranium, a.Kl suppose there 

 are cellulas in it, give a very ialse idea of it. It is not formed 

 in a primifure cartilaginous nucleus, which would be success 

 sively penetrated by earthv molecules ; it floes not grow by a 

 general and simultaneous develo])ment of all its parts, and bv 

 preserving one same form; in short, it is neither penetrated 

 by vessels nor by nerves. Those who thought that the ves- 

 sels of the pulpy nucleus pass into the body of the tooth, 

 have been deceived ; and much more were those who esta- 

 blish a passage of vessels from the periosteum of the alveolus 

 into the mas> of the roots. The smallest possible fibre of 

 the pulpy nucleus does not pass to the subtilance called os- 

 seous ; and the latter is connected with the rest of the body 

 only by its mechanical and forked formation. Thus no part 

 of the tooth is regenerated when it has been once drawn ; 

 and if broken or cracked teeth sometimes reconsolidate, it is 

 only because new layers forming within, glue theuiselves to 

 the exterior ones, and glue the latter among each other. 



We shall also see new proofs of this when we come to 

 examine ivory, and thence we shall refute the objections 

 drawn from the diseases of the teeth ; but, in the mean 

 while, we may safely affirm, that it is very improperly that 

 several anatomists have given to the^ interiial substance of 

 the teeth the name oi osseous suhstance, and equally impro- 

 perly have they given the name of ossification to the opera- 

 tion which develops and hardens them : this is to confound 

 two things essentially different, and to give, by ill applied 

 names, false ideas which may even have an influence upon 

 practice. 



But let lis now return to the grinders of the elephant. 



[To be continued.] 



XXXVII. No- 



