A CLINICAL STUDY OF ODONTOMES. 
69 
the influence on the growth or vigor of the animal, very 
materially lessens the amount of disfiguration ; or, in case of 
pain on pressure upon the crown of the affected tooth, causing 
uni-lateral mastication, we may, by long delay, have the very 
unfortunate extreme beveling of the teeth show in Fig. 8 ; or, 
in suppurating odontomes, as already related, especially of the 
lower jaw we may have death, probably from pyaemia. 
2. Never under any circumstances attempt the forcible 
removal of a tooth until it has been clearly determined that no 
enlargement of the fang exists, which in being forced through 
the alveolus may cause serious damage to it, or to the bony 
palate, as has been related in the cases from which have been 
taken Figs. 4, 6, and 13 a, and in Fig. 16. 
3. The first step in operating on affected teeth of young 
horses or others where odontomes may be suspected (except 
in those cases like in Fig. 5 where the abnormality is clearly 
confined to the crown and it has been erupted) should consist 
in a free opening at or near the normal position of the fang of 
the suspected tooth. This opening having been made by a 
large trephine three-quarters to one inch in diameter, should be 
further enlarged by aid of bone-gouging or cutting forceps, 
bone saw, chisel or gouge, until the character of the odontome 
is clearly made out, and abundant room for future operations 
afforded. When considerable enlargement of the bones is 
present, the opening may be extended almost to the circum¬ 
ference of the enlargement, with a view to diminution of the 
blemish when the parts have healed. This is especially true 
of the small follicular cysts in connection with the superior 
permanent pre-molars, in which we find sharply defined 
hemispherical protuberances, and of suppurating odontomes in 
the inferior maxillae, where there is frequently-a very unsight¬ 
ly enlargement. In the latter case, the bulged, thickened 
bony walls of the abscess may advantageously be cut away 
until the normal line of the inferior border is reached, al¬ 
though this cutting away may leave an opening into the ab¬ 
scess cavity five or six inches in diameter 4 , after which, as the 
healing process takes place, the widely separated walls may 
more readily approach each other and will leave far less 
