CARIES OF THE TEETH. 229 



Indeed, the author has frequently been called upon to treat 

 horses laboring under this disease, without a suspicion ever 

 being entertained of its true nature. 



A ease of this kind came under his notice in the winter of 

 1858, while on a visit to Jackson, Michigan. He was called 

 to see a bay mare kept for livery purposes, having a discharge 

 from the right side of the face some two inches below the eye, 

 which had existed for about two years. The discharge was of 

 so fetid a character that the animal was rendered unfit for use, 

 and she was consequently turned upon the common to die or 

 get well, as the chances might be, all known modes of treatment 

 having been previously adopted without any beneficial results. 

 He discovered, upon examination, a carious tooth, which was 

 removed, and in a short time the animal became well. During 

 the winter of 1859, a brown mare, belonging to a gentleman in 

 Germantown, Pennsylvania, was sent to the Clinic of the Phi- 

 ladelphia Veterinary College, having been pronounced glanderec^ 

 by a veterinary surgeon and ordered to be killed. Upon ex-. 

 amination a large abscess was discovered opening into the nose, 

 together with two carious teeth — thv3 first and second molars of 

 the right side. The mare was cast, and ten pieces of carious 

 teeth removed ; the cavity was then well cleaned out, and tow 

 saturated with tincture of myrrh filled in, removing and cleaning 

 every day. Some four weeks subsequently, the animal was sold 

 for one hundred and fifty dollars, sound as a bell ; though pre- 

 viously to this operation she could not have been sold at any 

 price. Many similar cases could be mentioned, but the fore- 

 going will serve to show the necessity of making a thorough 

 examination of an animal before pronouncing sentence of death 

 upon it. 



