88 THE CANINE TEETH. 



morbid phenomena in horses about this, the most crit- 

 ical period of their lives.' 



"When young horses are brought to me now for 

 treatment," continues Prof. Percivall, "I invariably 

 examine the teeth. Should the tusks be pushing 

 against the gums, I let them through by incisions 

 over their summits, and I extract any of the tempo- 

 rary teeth that appear to be obstructing the growth of 

 the permanent. In this way I feel assured I have seen 

 catarrhal and bronchial inflammations abated, coughs 

 relieved, lymphatic and other glandular tumors about 

 the head reduced, cutaneous eruptions got rid of, de- 

 ranged bowels and urinary organs restored, appetite 

 returned, and lost condition repaired. 



" I am quite sure too little attention has been paid 

 to the teeth in the treatment of young horses, and I 

 would counsel those who have such charges by no 

 means to disregard this remark, trifling as it may 

 appear. The pathognomonic symptoms calling our 

 attention, whether in young or old horses, if not to 

 the teeth themselves, to the mouth in general, are 

 large discharges of saliva from the mouth, with occa- 

 sional slobbering; cudding of the food; difficulty of 

 mastication or deglutition, or both, and stench of buc- 

 cal secretion, perhaps of the breath as well." 



Prof. Percivall continues the discussion of the sub- 

 ject of dentition and its effect on the health of the 

 horse, dwelling more particularly on the disorder 

 known as lampas. He says : 



"There is connected with dentition another pecu- 

 liarity in the horse which we must not allow to pass 

 unnoticed. Although the period of teething, properly 



