A CASK OF DISEASE OF THE JAW. 93 
hoping (if you think it worth while) that you will elucidate a 
disorder which no one here can understand. 
Your’s truly, 
— -- R. Jackson. 
This had been a case of foul in the foot in which the disease 
had extended to the bones, producing anchylosis of the digital 
phalanges, and permanent lameness: the pasterns and coffin- 
joints of both digits were anchylosed.—D. 
A CASE OF DISEASE OF THE JAW. 
By Mr. C. May, V . S ., Malden . 
On the 27th May last, I was requested by Mr. Ram, of Pur- 
leigh, about four miles hence, to look at a horse of his which he 
told me had a cancer in his jaw. I found my patient, a fine 
young chaise-cart horse, looking very poor, and having a con¬ 
stant discharge from the inferior part of the lower jaw on the 
left side, directly under the second molar. There was conside¬ 
rable enlargement of the bone, which led me to suspect disease of 
the tooth, which, upon examination, proved to be the case; for, 
upon introducing my probe into the orifice, I found that it readily 
went through the tooth into the mouth. Upon inquiry I was 
informed that this supposed cancer had been under the treatment 
of a farrier in the neighbourhood, and that many had been the 
painful caustic applications to which the poor beast had been 
obliged to submit for some months. As I was of opinion that no 
good could be done to the jaw until the tooth was removed, I deter¬ 
mined upon attempting to extract it, and in order to accomplish 
this, I had an instrument made similar to the key instrument 
used by human surgeons, with a handle like that of an auger. 
Having cast my patient, and well lanced the gum, I fixed my 
instrument upon the tooth and succeeded in extracting it, al¬ 
though I found that it required nearly all the strength of which 
I was master. There was but trifling hemorrhage, and the can - 
cer very soon got well; the only application I used to it was 
strong sol. chlo. calcis. The animal now carries as much flesh as 
his companions, and shews none of those distressing signs of 
pain which he was wont to do before the extraction of the tooth. 
I am inclined to think that our patients are more frequently the 
subjects of tooth-ache than we have been in the habit of sup¬ 
posing them. Perhaps quidding in many of them might be traced 
to a carious tooth. 
VOL. VII. 
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