192 THE DEXTISTHY OF THE TEETH. 



ceding liis death, proved that the tootli passed without 

 obstacle through the first part of the intestinal canal. 

 Having arrived at the caecum, however, which was 

 almost empty, and lying for a greater or less time at 

 the inferior part of its mucous coat, its hard and irreg- 

 ular sur^ice produced irritation ; and as the contrac- 

 tions of this intestine were not effectual to seize the 

 tooth and return it to the beginning of the colon, the 

 prolongation of the irritation might suspend the diges- 

 tive function of this viscus, augment its secretions, 

 and cause the continual effort to expel the fseces. 

 Hence also arose the gaseous distention of the abdo- 

 men. As to the death of tlie horse, the tooth was only 

 the indirect cause. The direct cause was suffocation, 

 which was produced by the distention of the bowels." 



Prof. Bouley and Surgeon Ferguson report two 

 fatal cases of swallowing teeth that came under their 

 own observation. " In the first," they say, *^ the horse 

 succumbed in a tympanitic affection, accompanied by 

 extreme pain, and death was produced by asphyxia." 

 The second case, judging by the short description of 

 it in "The Veterinarian" for 1844, is the identical 

 case just described by Prof. Bouley's fellow-townsman, 

 Prof. Renault. Messrs. Bouley and Perguson further 

 say: 



'^Suchj however, is happily not always tlie result of 

 swallowing a tooth or the fragment of a tooth ; but 

 even the possibility of such a result ought to make 

 the surgeon cautious. Moreover, the swallowing of a 

 tooth may cause serious consequences at some future 

 time. We refer to the formation of those productions 

 called intestinal calcuH.' The tooth, on account of 

 its being indigestible, acts as the nucleus for the future 



