228 DISEASES OF THE TEETH, ETC. 



the hardness of the jaws, or their own disproportioned size 

 and solidity. The gums become stretched from the pressure 

 of the teeth against them ; they dilate, sometimes split ; at 

 the same time they are red, painful, and hot, even to a sense 

 of burning, and they spread. Internally, the roots of the 

 teeth, from shooting downwards, compress the dental nerves, 

 and painfully drag the periosteal linings of the alveolar 

 cavities. These combined causes will sufficiently account 

 for the local irritation and suffering accompanying teething, 

 and enable ns to explain many morbid phenomena we find 

 appearing in horses about this — from various circumstances 

 —the most critical period of their lives/^^ 



The Effects of Dentition upon the constitution may be 

 said to breed, or add to the intensity of, excitation, causing 

 fever, catarrhal disorder, cough, glandular swellings, ophthal- 

 mic irritation, cutaneous eruption, derangement of the bowels, 

 urinary disturbance, loss of appetite and consequent emacia- 

 tion. My respected predecessor, the late Mr. Bloxam, has 

 left behind him, in his Registry of Sick, several such entries 

 as "fever from dentition" — "suffering from dentition:" in 

 my mind, evidence sufficient to show that his opinions on 

 this subject were much the same as thoselam now endeavour- 

 ing to inculcate and, let me add, they Avere the result of 

 very long experience, and most patient and attentive ob- 

 servation. Excessive or long -continued local irritation and 

 suffering induces a habit of nervousness and susceptibility, 

 rendering the body dbubly prone to the operation of 

 morbific agents, and augmenting the violence of the 

 malady when once disease has set in. .For this reason I, 

 for my own part, invariably make it my rule, in practice, 

 when young horses are brought to me sick or unwell, to 

 inspect their mouths, and, in particular, to notice the tusks, 

 which, should they be prominent and pushing against the 

 gums, I let through by making crucial incisions over their 

 summits : at the same time, I extract any of the sucking 

 teeth that may appear to be obstructing the growth of the 

 set to come. In this way, I feel assured, I have seen 



' See Hurtrel d'Arboval's ' Dictionnaire,' article 'Dentition.' 



