230 EXTRACTING TEETH. 



Acidity of the fluids of the mouth is generally — and, as tho 

 author believes, correctly — assigned as the cause of caries of the 

 teeth. The symptoms are fetid discliarges from the nose, ob- 

 structed respiration, improper mastication of the food, passing 

 the oats or corn whole, qnidding, drowsiness, loss of flesh, 

 staring coat, hide-bound, tossing to and fro of the head, stop- 

 ping short on the road, starting suddenly, and at times becomiisg 

 almost frantic. All these symptoms, however, must not be 

 expected to be found in the same case, as different horses are 

 differently affected by the disease. One is drowsy, feeds daintily 

 at times, and again ravenously ; another is at times wild, so as 

 to be almost unmanageable. Many of these symptoms occur in 

 other diseases besides those of the teeth ; but their presence 

 suggests the necessity for an examination of the mouth, and 

 particularly of the molar teeth, which may be done by passing 

 the hand along the upper molar teeth inside of the cheek, thus 

 enabling the examiner to detect the presence of caries without 

 difficulty. 



EXTKACTING TEETH. 

 When a carious tooth, or one so unequally worn as to cause 

 mischief, is discovered, its removal is necessary to the restora- 

 tion of the animal's health. In order to accomplish this, the 

 horse must be cast, and the age of the animal considered, in 

 order to make choice of proper instruments. If he is young, 

 say from four to six years, an instrument made similur to the 

 key used by surgeon dentists, is the best adapted; if he is old, 

 a pair of forceps of large size, made in the same manner as the 

 tooth-forceps of dentists, will answer, as the roots of the teeth 

 in old horses are comparatively short, and therefore may be 

 easily extracted. 



