91 

 possible to mistake the last milk tooth of the four 

 year old, for the horse incisor which is characteristic 

 of the fifth year ; the difference between them is so 

 great, that no person ought to confound one with 

 the other. The corner milk tooth is often by the 

 third year worn almost to a stump ; its table being 

 somewhat triangular, or occasionally round. By the 

 fourth year it generally becomes a mere stump, or 

 so changed in appearance that it contrasts in size 

 with the other nippers, and seems incapable of per- 

 forming any active function. At first, the permanent 

 tooth when it makes its appearance, strikes us by its 

 greater breadth, the gum not then having sufficiently 

 retracted, or the tooth sufficiently grown to allow 

 its after length beino; estimated. When the corner 

 teeth are in the mouth, some time will elapse before 

 they touch, but the incisors are then arranged so as 

 to represent almost a semi-circle. The annexed 

 wood cut will convey an idea of the manner in which 

 they are placed, and also of the shape of the tables 

 of the central and lateral nippers, at the time when 

 the corner teeth do not approximate, although they 

 are through the gums. 



