Diseases of the Digestive Organs. 133 



DISEASE OF THE MEMBEAHfES OP THE TEETH. 



The membrane surrounding the fang or that lining the 

 pulp cavity may become the seat of disease. There may 

 be loosening, suppuration or shedding of the tooth, devia- 

 tion from its true direction so that the outer edge of the 

 upper grinder or the inner edge of the lower may get 

 overgrown and injurious, or a hard deposit may fill up the 

 pulp cavity, or surround the fang wedging it into its socket 

 and setting up disease and swelling of the adjacent jaw- 

 bone. These conditions may often be relieved in the 

 early stages by soft feeding, protection from cold, lancing 

 the gums, a dose of physic, and daily sponging of the 

 gums with tincture of myrrh. 



DENTINAL TUMORS. 



These oc'cur from the action of any irritant applied to 

 the tooth ivory. Some years ago I removed a large mass 

 of this kind attached to the second upper temporary 

 grinder of the horse. It is usually necessary to remove 

 the teeth from which they grow. 



TAETAB ON TEETH. 



This is common in dogs and may be removed by a 

 wooden probe with a small pledget of tow dipped in water 

 rendered slightly acid with spirit of salt. 



DENTITION FEVEE. 



Considerable irritation and fever often attend on the 

 cutting of the teeth in animals. Horses are most liable to 

 suffer in the third year when they cut four front teeth and 

 eight back ones, and in the fourth year when they cut 

 four front, eight back, and four tushes. Cattle suffer less 

 and mainly from the second to the third year. One of 

 the fiirst grinders which come up at this period is some- 

 times entangled with the crown of its predecessor, causing 

 much loss of appetite and condition and foetid breath. 

 Pigs usually cut thirty-six teeth from the sixth to the 

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