"DOl^T BE IIST A HFERY." 181 



finding an outlet, which gave partial relief. Surgeon 

 Santy acted on the advice, '' Don't be in a hurry," and 

 consequently had time to think. The depression on 

 the outside of the tooth and its slight projection above 

 the common level, were signs that the trained eye only 

 will detect. However, had the operation been delayed 

 for a short time, in addition to the dejoression on the 

 outside of the tooth, the gum would have been more 

 or less shrunken, and the tooth, as a natural conse- 

 quence, would have appeared longer.* Further, in- 

 stead of the tooth being "slightly raised from the sur- 

 face," it might have been below it; for, the inflamma- 

 tion having subsided, and the roots being shortened 

 by the caries, it is liable to be forced deeper into the 

 socket. Its next natural movement, the caries having 

 destroyed its periosteum, is to drop out altogether. 



As an ofi*set to the foregoing cures, a few cases that 

 terminated in death will be given. Surgeon Samuel 

 Baker, in a letter to the editor of " The Veterinarian " 

 (1845, p. 216), says: 



" I was called in by a neighboring farmer to examine 

 a two-year-old colt, which had to all appearance a poly- 

 pus as large as a cricket-ball growing out of the right 

 nostril. Respiration through that nostril was stopped. 

 In order to ascertain its nature, I had the colt cast, 

 and found that the nostril was filled with a hard fleshy 

 tumor, which distended the other nostril also. After 

 making an incision through the ala and side of the 

 nostril, I removed a portion of the tumor, over a pound 

 in weight. But, as still no air passed through, and 



* Shrinkage of the g^im, according- to C. D. House, invariably 

 follows caries of the roots of the teeth. 



