CENTURY VIII. 397 



forth, which they call the colt s tooth : and at four 

 years old there cometh the mark tooth, which hath a 

 hole as big as you may lay a pea within it, and that 

 weareth shorter and shorter every year, till that at 

 eight years old the tooth is smooth, and the hole 

 gone : and then they say, that the mark is out of 

 the horse s mouth. 



755. The teeth of men breed first, when the child 

 is about a year and half old : and then they cast them, 

 and new come about seven years old. But divers 

 have backward teeth come forth at twenty, yea some 

 at thirty and forty. Query, of the manner of the 

 coming of them forth. They tell a tale of the old 

 Countess of Desmond, who lived till she was seven- 

 score years old, that she did dentire twice or thrice, 

 casting her old teeth, and others coming in their place. 



756. Teeth are much hurt by sweetmeats ; and 

 by painting with mercury ; and by things over-hot ; 

 and by things over-cold ; and by rheums. And the 

 pain of the teeth is one of the sharpest of pains. 



757. Concerning teeth, these things are to be 

 considered. 1. The preserving of them. &quot;2. The keep 

 ing of them white. 3. The drawing of them with 

 least pain. 4. The staying and easing of the tooth 

 ache. 5. The binding in of artificial teeth, where 

 teeth have been strucken out. 6. And last of all, that 

 great one of restoring teeth in age. The instances 

 that give any likelihood of restoring teeth in age, 

 are the late coming of teeth in some, and the renew 

 ing of the beaks in birds, which are commaterial with 

 teeth. Query, therefore, more particularly how that 



