VETERINARY DENTAL SURGERT. 185 



come swollen, red, hard and painful to the touch. 

 Tapping the diseased tooth lightly produces intense 

 pain. 



If there is a tendency for the abscess to break 

 externally, there will be swelling of the parts over 

 the affected tooth, with gradual softening and finally 

 a discharge of fetid pus, which will usually continue 

 until the cause is removed. When the discharge 

 has once freely taken place, the pain partially ceases 

 and the animal begins to feed better and may even 

 regain its natural fleshy condition. 



The energy of the disease, however, having been 

 expended, the secretion of pus may cease and the 

 opening into the gums close. There is still a great 

 susceptibility to morbid impressions on the alveolar- 

 dental periosteum, caused by the presence of a tooth 

 deprived of a large portion of its vitality. A recur- 

 rence of the inflammation is liable to take place with 

 the slightest cause, when pus will be again formed 

 and the passage for its escape re-established. The 

 subsequent attacks do not give rise to as severe 

 symptoms as the first. By carefully investigating 

 the history of alveolar abscesses, we frequently 

 learn that there has been a recurrence of the abscess. 

 This is especially true in a country practice where 

 there has been limited opportunities to have the 

 teeth looked after by a competent dentist. 



In some cases the inflammation instead of subsid- 



