A CLINICAL STUDY OF ODONTOMES 
5 
fering with respiration, nor producing the dreaded nasal 
discharge, are neglected by the owner and the animal is not 
brought under the observation of the veterinarian. 
While in many of the odontomes of the lower jaw the 
course is likely to be very benign, yet we have observed sev¬ 
eral fatalities from them, whereas we have seen none from 
those of the upper jaw, and in this respect our observations 
correspond exactly with those of Dr. Sutton, who records no 
fatalities in odontomes of superior teeth, but several from in¬ 
ferior odontomes. 
The symptoms of odontomic changes in teeth necessarily 
vary greatly with the class, the tooth affected, size of odon- 
tome, stage of development, etc., etc. 
In the lower jaw, where they usually take the form of 
radicular or compound follicular odontomes, the first notice¬ 
able symptom usually consists of a hard, sometimes painless, 
at other times quite sensitive, swelling, varying in size, well 
defined, and seen mostly toward the lower border of jaw 
where it is not covered by muscle. It may bulge mainly 
on either the outer or inner side, but is generally central, 
showing equally on both sides. 
The growth may be quite gradual and the tumor painless 
unless suppuration supervene, to which there is usually a 
strong tendency, when the growth becomes more rapid and the 
tumor painful. The tooth may now also become sensitive, 
the animal evincing pain when the crown is manipulated, and 
especially in mastication. Two natural modes of relief pre¬ 
sent themselves, either or both of which may be called into 
operation. The more direct and effectual is by the pus forc¬ 
ing an exit through the thin, bony plate of the maxilla, at 
or near the affected fang, frequently on the external, more 
often on the internal side. The actual character of the 
disease is now readily recognizable by passing a metallic 
probe through the fistula, until it comes in contact with the 
hard, rough surface of the diseased tooth tissue. The swell¬ 
ing may then subside, and the animal remain apparentl} 7 well- 
except the small fistula, which usually remains constantly 
open, and from which a small quantity of thick, fetid pus 
