306 DERANGEMENTS OF THE TEETH. 



secures tbe tongue, he, by tlie aid of suitable forceps, if possible, 

 extracts tbe tootb. Sometimes it is so far decayed as to bave 

 become a mere sbell, wbicb in grasping witb forceps is crusbed 

 into fragments, wben its furtber extraction by this mode may 

 be rendered impracticable. In a case of this kind, especially 

 where the animal is valuable, and \Yhere tbe tooth diseased is a 

 top molar one, and where a sinus passes from its aveolar cavity 

 into tbe nasal cavity above, it then becomes necessary to extract 

 the fangs of the tooth ; and this can only be affected by making 

 an opening into the mouth at the side of the cheek — an opera- 

 tion which is dilEcult to perform, and which is beyond the 

 scope of the present Avork to treat upon. Should the operator, 

 however, succeed in extracting the tooth as directed above, a 

 difficulty in possibility should also be taken into account, and 

 provided for accordingly. The difficulty I allude to is this : — 

 tbe opposing tooth of the opposite jaw not having the extracted 

 tooth any longer to contend against, it will in time so increase 

 in length as in tbe end to prevent mastication. Two modes of 

 dealing with this possible difficulty are presented to notice : one 

 is to remove the sound tooth at the time the diseased one is 

 extracted ; and the other is to leave it in the mouth, and as it 

 becomes too long, to reduce it from time to time as necessity 

 may require. The choice of these modes, in any case which 

 may happen, I leave to the judgment of the operator, and those 

 to whom the patient may belong. 



Diet. — The kind of diet necessary in these cases will be an 

 important matter for consideration. Hay and the coarser vari- 

 eties of food, if allowed, would probably retard the cure, in 

 consequence of portions being insinuated into the cavity made 

 by extracting the diseased tooth. The diet should therefore 

 (for a time at least) consist of thick gruel, bread and milk, 

 boiled rice and milk, and occasionally of raw eggs and milk, or 



