332 MICROSCOPIC ANATOMY OF THE TEETH 



to be universal and quite independent of any after-formation 

 of enamel. The question arises as the result of the observa- 

 tions above recorded, if this epithelial organ in the 

 Edentates can be properly called the 'enamel organ '. 



It is an arrangement of epithelial cells which no doubt 

 bears a strong resemblance to an enamel organ, but the 

 function of these cells is not that of enamel production ; and 

 as it has been shown that in all Mammalia examined and 

 in some other Vertebrates (by Hertwig) that an epithelial 

 sheath is present, we should conclude that it cannot be 

 absent in the Edentates, and is in them also the dentine 

 limiting organ, probably having no relation to the formation 

 of enamel either as a functional or vestigial characteristic. 



A paper on the enamel organ of the Edentates was 

 published by Ballowitz in 1892 (1). 



REFERENCES 



1. Ballowitz, E. ' Das Schmelzorgan des Edentaten, seine Ausbildung im 



Embryo und die Persistenz seines Keimrandes bei dem erwachsenen 

 Thiere.' Archivf. Mikr. Anat., 1892, Bd. xl, pp. 133-57. 



2. v. Brunn, A. (a) ' Ueber die Ausdehnung des Schmelzorganes in seiner 



Bedeutung fiir die Zahnbildung.' Archiv f. Mikr. Anat., 1887, 

 Bd. xxix, pp. 367-83. 



(fe) ' Beitrag zur Kermtniss der Zahnentwickelung.' Archivf. Mikr. Anat., 

 1891, Bd. xxxviii, pp. 142-56. 



3. v. Ebner, V. Handbuch der Zahnheilkunde, Wien, 1890, pp. 252-4. 



4. Hertwig, O. ' Ueber das Zahnsystem der Amphibien und seine Bedeu- 



tung fiir die Genese des Skeletts der Mundhohle.' Archivf. Mikr. 

 Anat., Bd. xi, Suppl., 1874. 



5. James, W. W. 'A Preliminary Note on the Eruption of the Teeth.' 



Proc. Roy. Soc. Med., 1909. 



6. Legros et Magitot. ' Origine et formation des follicules dentaires chez 



les Mammiferes.' Journ. de V Anat. et de la Physiol., vol. iv, 1873. 



7. Malassez, L. ' Sur le role des debris epitheliaux paradentaires.' 



Archives de Physiol, Paris, 1885, 3 e ser., v. 309-40, and .vi. 379- 

 449. 



8. Robin et Magitot. ' Genese et developpement des follicules dentaires. ' 



Journ. de Physiol., vol. iv, 1861. 



9. Tomes, C. S. ' On the Development of the Teeth of the Newt, Slow- 



worm, Frog, and Green Lizard.' Phil. Trans. Roy. Soc., 1876, vol. clxv, 

 pt. i, pp. 285-96. 



