DENTITION. 
Py aha in Phyfiology and Medicine, the produétion 
of thet 
The time and mode of the oe and growth of the 
teeth have been amply treated of under the article Cra- 
nium. It remains for us to oie in this place, 
The Difeafes of Dentition.—The teeth at their firft forma- 
tion, and for fome time while growing, are completely 
inclofed within the fockets and gums, and in t rowth 
they a& upon the inclofing parts, in fome degree, 
neous bodies. ence, while the operation of growth is 
going on in them, another i is effeGted, namely, a 
decay of that part of the pum and focket that covers the 
tooth, in ee of ne preflure of the latter, and which 
becomes the caufe of many difagr hes and even ie 
fymptoms. This reffure induces mmation and ulcer 
tion of the gums, bat fuppuration een accompanies i: 
Hunter on the Teeth, part ii. p. rr4. 
_ As thefe morbid changes take place at an early age, in- 
deed almoft begin with life, when the irritability of the 
whole fyftem is extremely great, the fymptoms which wee 
are not merely local, but affe&t the conftitution at large 
various ways, and excite a great variety of maladies. Thefe 
fymptoms are in fact fo various in different children, and 
often in the fame child, that it is difficult to conceive en 
igin. They become lefs various, how- 
hazardous, as the children advance in age; fo 
that the double teeth of the child, and ftill more fo the 
fecond fet of teeth, or thofe of we aw are ufually cut 
Without producing ‘much difturban 
he firft fymptoms are local, ae appear to be accompa- 
nied with pain, as the child is reftlefs, uneafy, and rubs his 
There are oe 
of the gums, and 
ere 
i c 
in the firft hour of his i:lnefs the child fhall Be perfetly 
cool, and in the fecond flathed a i i 
ned byt 
parts which they affle&t. Thefe f Eptons we 
fhall enue in the order of their ae frequent occurrence. 
afcertain, a een in gener not being able to exprefs 
their ies clin 
3 but the a acme efpecially when 
univerfal, frequently are fo. Local a 
n the very pwaable habits of infants a eerial apathy 
is excited by local irritations ; and hence general fever and 
eneral convulfions, n dentition. 
capable of calling forth hg general fda y; but as the 
child advances, the confent of parts in the conftitution be- 
comes lefs general; but fome one her is found which has a 
greater aptitude than the reft to fall in with the local irrita- 
tion, and it fympathizes according to its own peculiar adlion. 
By the age of fix years, few parts fuffer but thofe immedi- 
ately affected ; and in adults, ee cut their teeth, we almoft 
always find the pain and other fymptom 
part, or _ local i aaa iu place, ier asa {welling 
of a fide e fac 
But as ce ae become more ae the fuffering 
part is often much more violently affeted. Therefore we 
find that, in adults, the pain of cutting. a grinder is frequently 
excefiis ve, and the local inflammation i is very confi erable, and 
it is confined to the v 
fm over the face; 
ns from dentition in the adult are sien periodical, 
having Nees regular and fixed periods, from which circum 
{tance they are often fuppofed to be apueith, and the bark is 
adminiftered, but without effe&. Medicines for the rheuma- 
Pie leo given with as little fuccefs ; when a tooth 
will appear, and difclofe the caufe ot the complaint: and by 
lancing the gums the cure is offen performed 3 but the dit- 
eafe will recur, if the gum happens to heal over the tooth, 
which it will very readily do, if the tooth is pretty deep. 
As thefe teeth are genera'ly flower im their growth than the 
others,, and more efpecially thofe which come very late, 
they become the caufe of many returns of the fym 
The remedies for the difeafes arifing from conenon can 
in peaae only be of a diforders 
cannot be aitogether removed, till th ufe ce tes excep 
indeed, when ooth is covered by a very thin portio 
e gum, in which cafe the fymptoms may ee eae 
h ma 
{peedily noel by lancing it. Where this cannot be’ in 
diately done, and the 
fions, appear, palliative meafures muft be ado 
laxatives, if the bowels are bound, diaphoretics, and {mall 
dofes of fome anodyne, mult be adminiftered; and the ufe of 
the warm-bath muft be added, as the moft effectual ano~ 
dyne, when convulfions occur. If a diarrhoea fhould come 
on,-and in a gentie degree only, it may be allawed to go on 5 
or if fevere, it may be reltrained. But often the fympathe- 
tic derangement of the bowels becomes itfelf an irritating 
caufe, and by fympathy with brain, contributes to exe 
yer, and even convulfion When, pany aki the 
bowels si much difordered, ain there is a ufly much 
8 
bid appearance ey 
and rhubarb, or other laxat 
cines is aii ecules ferviceable in removing the cut 
eruptions, which appear during the siereats of oes, 
fuch as the crufta lactea » ftrophulus, or red-gum, &c.. 
When the local sd meatons is flight, it feems defirable 
to gratify the pero propenfity, which children — 
: dee and pre sal e gums; and a piece of wax, or of li 
€ root, o e fubftance of that foft ki nd, appears to 
be pateable o ie laa, unyielding cael or glals, _ 
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