﻿6 
  PROCEEDINGS 
  OF 
  THE 
  NATIONAL 
  MUSEUM 
  vol. 
  (57 
  

  

  if) 
  There 
  is 
  no 
  possibility 
  that 
  the 
  left 
  lower 
  canine 
  was 
  congen- 
  

   itally 
  absent, 
  for 
  the 
  tissue 
  now 
  occupying 
  the 
  position 
  of 
  the 
  nor- 
  

   mal 
  alveolus 
  is, 
  in 
  texture, 
  different 
  from 
  the 
  surrounding 
  bone. 
  

   This 
  scar 
  seems 
  to 
  be 
  slightly 
  smaller 
  than 
  the 
  alveolus 
  of 
  the 
  right 
  

   canine, 
  indicating 
  that 
  the 
  left 
  was 
  lost 
  some 
  time 
  during 
  the 
  youth 
  

   of 
  the 
  individual. 
  Another 
  indication 
  that 
  the 
  tooth 
  was 
  not 
  lost 
  in 
  

   later 
  life 
  is 
  that 
  the 
  healing 
  of 
  the 
  alveolus 
  would 
  then 
  hardly 
  have 
  

   been 
  as 
  perfect. 
  The 
  surrounding 
  bone 
  is 
  smooth 
  and 
  healthy, 
  and 
  

   the 
  prominence 
  upon 
  the 
  chin 
  formed 
  by 
  the 
  root 
  of 
  the 
  normal 
  

   canine 
  is 
  absent 
  upon 
  the 
  left 
  side. 
  There 
  is 
  no 
  indication 
  of 
  how 
  

   or 
  why 
  this 
  tooth 
  was 
  lost. 
  

  

  (g) 
  Many 
  of 
  the 
  alveoli 
  are 
  markedly 
  pathologic. 
  This 
  condition 
  

   takes 
  the 
  form 
  of 
  excessive 
  shrinkage, 
  or 
  lowering 
  of 
  the 
  bony 
  bor- 
  

   der, 
  and 
  is 
  most 
  marked 
  in 
  the 
  septa 
  between 
  the 
  tooth 
  rows, 
  espe- 
  

   cially 
  between 
  the 
  second 
  and 
  third 
  molars 
  of 
  both 
  sides 
  and 
  the 
  

   first 
  and 
  second 
  of 
  the 
  left 
  side, 
  of 
  the 
  lower 
  series; 
  and 
  between 
  the 
  

   second 
  and 
  third 
  molars 
  of 
  both 
  sides 
  of 
  the 
  upper 
  series. 
  The 
  

   majority 
  of 
  the 
  remaining 
  molariform 
  teeth 
  of 
  the 
  upper 
  series 
  are 
  

   also 
  affected, 
  but 
  in 
  lesser 
  degree. 
  The 
  bone 
  involved 
  is 
  smooth, 
  

   however, 
  showing 
  no 
  sign 
  of 
  scars 
  or 
  injury, 
  and 
  the 
  abnormality 
  

   was 
  not 
  caused 
  by 
  suppuration. 
  

  

  A 
  study 
  of 
  the 
  above 
  situation 
  and 
  a 
  consideration 
  of 
  all 
  possible 
  

   solutions 
  points 
  with 
  probability 
  to 
  an 
  intensely 
  interesting 
  expla- 
  

   nation. 
  At 
  the 
  age 
  when 
  this 
  individual 
  had 
  just 
  cut 
  the 
  front 
  teeth 
  

   of 
  the 
  peimanent 
  set, 
  he 
  suffered 
  an 
  injury, 
  most 
  likely 
  followed 
  by 
  

   inflammation 
  of 
  the 
  muscles 
  of 
  the 
  right 
  side 
  of 
  the 
  head 
  and 
  neck. 
  

   For 
  an 
  indeterminate 
  interval 
  thereafter 
  the 
  act 
  of 
  chewing 
  food, 
  

   and 
  very 
  likely 
  that 
  of 
  swallowing 
  as 
  well, 
  was 
  so 
  painful 
  that 
  the 
  

   animal 
  brought 
  itself 
  to 
  the 
  verge 
  of 
  starvation. 
  From 
  this 
  cause, 
  

   a 
  state 
  of 
  malnutrition 
  followed, 
  reaching 
  its 
  maximum 
  severity 
  at 
  

   a 
  time 
  during 
  or 
  immediately 
  subsequent 
  to 
  the 
  cutting 
  of 
  most 
  of 
  

   the 
  rear 
  molars, 
  which 
  occurs 
  some 
  time 
  after 
  the 
  appearance 
  of 
  the 
  

   anterior 
  teeth 
  of 
  the 
  permanent 
  set. 
  Any 
  deficiency 
  in 
  the 
  diet 
  

   having 
  an 
  osteological 
  effect 
  at 
  the 
  time 
  that 
  tooth 
  change 
  is 
  occur- 
  

   ring 
  would 
  manifest 
  itself 
  at 
  just 
  this 
  point, 
  where 
  the 
  process 
  of 
  

   absorption 
  of 
  old, 
  and 
  formation 
  of 
  new, 
  bony 
  tissue 
  renders 
  this 
  

   part 
  most 
  subject 
  to 
  any 
  adverse 
  influences. 
  It 
  is 
  likely 
  that 
  the 
  

   permanent 
  cheek 
  teeth 
  were 
  rather 
  well 
  formed 
  when 
  the 
  condition 
  

   of 
  malnutrition 
  was 
  most 
  acute, 
  however, 
  else 
  their 
  emplacement 
  

   would 
  show 
  some 
  abnormal 
  irregularity, 
  which 
  is 
  not 
  the 
  case. 
  The 
  

   state 
  of 
  the 
  posterior 
  borders 
  of 
  the 
  alveoli 
  of 
  the 
  third 
  molars 
  or 
  

   "wisdom" 
  teeth 
  points 
  to 
  the 
  conclusion 
  that 
  before 
  the 
  appearance 
  

   of 
  the 
  latter, 
  the 
  animal 
  had 
  ceased 
  to 
  suffer 
  pain, 
  had 
  resumed 
  a 
  

   normal 
  diet, 
  and 
  had 
  thus 
  terminated 
  the 
  period 
  of 
  malnutrition. 
  

  

  