REPULSION OF TEETH. 15 



dental arcade. Careful digital exploration in the mouth 

 may discover this fracture while stirll ' ' simple ' ' but a 

 stroke or two more will convert it into the very much 

 more serious ' ' compound ' ' fracture opening into the oral 

 cavity. Keeping one hand constantly in the mouth at the 

 point of impact is always desirable as a precautionary 

 measure. Transverse fracture of the tooth while yet in 

 situ by means of the bone chisel, as above described, is a 

 great safeguard against this injury by lessening the force 

 required in repulsion and by the removal of the tapering 

 fang, which then leaves a more secure base for the punch to 

 act upon. It should never be forgotten that the impact from 

 the punch must always be as nearly parallel to the long axis 

 of the tooth as is possible. 



The fracture of the superior maxilla and bony palate is 

 not so probable as the preceding and is preventable by mod- 

 erate care in the denuding of the tooth before punching, by 

 comminution of the tooth in bad cases, by the careful ad- 

 justment of the punch and applying the force in the proper 

 direction. 



Literature. Odontomes, Sir Bland Sutton, Jour. Comp. 

 Med. and Vet. Arch, Vol. XII. p. i ; A Chnical Study of 

 Odontomes, W. ly. Williams, Am. Vet. Review, Vol. XV, 

 p. I ; Notes on Odontomes, do ; Am. Vet. Rev. Vol. XXIII, 

 p. 82 and Oest. Mon. Thierheilkunde, Bd. XXIV, s. 122. 



