ALVEOLAR PERIOSTITIS IN CARNIVORA. 
53 
by horse-dealers to give horses the appearance of greater age. The operation 
is called for where milk teeth remain confined between the permanent incisors, 
or where the inter-maxillary or submaxillary bone is fractured and the alveoli 
exposed. 
Gunther’s forceps are the best (fig. 30). The projection just in front of 
the jaws of the instrument serves as a fulcrum, and should be rested on one 
of the neighbouring teeth. Incisors can also be pulled with human forceps 
made rather longer and stronger than usual (fig. 31). The same instrument 
serves as an exporteur. 
( b ) Inflammation of the Alveolar Periosteum in Carnivora. 
Dogs, especially those kept in the house, are the most frequent sufferers. 
Compared with that in herbivora, the disease differs both in its advent 
and progress. A large number of teeth are usually attacked, sometimes 
nearly all; both molars and incisors suffer, and old dogs may be reduced 
to an absolutely toothless condition. 
Symptoms. The edges of the gums are swollen, more or less reddened, 
and bleed on the least touch. At points where the tongue cannot reach, 
as along the external borders, the gums are moist with a grey slimy 
fluid of a particularly penetrating odour. The crowns of the teeth are 
partly covered with grey chalky masses of tartar, which intiude undei 
the gum in the direction of the alveolus, loosening the tooth, and 
causing it to fall out. ^fyhere the disease is extensive, the animals 
salivate freely, eat badly, and either avoid gnawing bones, or whine 
occasionally during the process, whilst the mouth emits a most offensive 
smell. Sometimes single teeth become loosened and partly displaced, 
preventing the animal closing the mouth, and giving rise to suspicion of 
rabies. 
The condition was formerly regarded as systemic, and received such 
names as scurvy, mouth-rot, &c. But no fever or other constitutional 
symptom is present, and recovery takes place as soon as all diseased 
teeth are removed. 
The formation of tartar, or the extension of caries, as already stated, 
is the immediate cause of alveolar periostitis. The tartar is deposited 
on the teeth, and continually advances towards the gums, producing 
inflammation and necrosis. The alveolus is finally exposed, putiefactive 
organisms enter from the mouth and keep up the inflammatoiy action. 
The grey stinking material discharged when the tooth is pressed upon 
consists almost entirely of putrefactive bactena. A piedisposition to 
this formation of tartar exists in certain small laces of dogs, possibly 
caused by inappropriate feeding. 
Preventive treatment calls for the removal of tartar before alveolai 
disease has appeared. The incrustation can be scraped off in the 
manner already described. It is advised to paint the diseased spot with 
