362 
WM. BRYDEN. 
only some temporary affair connected with dentition; but, as he did not 
outgrow it, I was sent for to examine him for a decayed tooth, and 
went prepared to extract it if found ; instead of one, I found cavities in 
four of the molars of the upper jaw (two on each side), thinking that 
these cavities might be the last points of attachment of the temporary 
teeth, and that age would bring relief, I concluded not to operate, as he 
had been but recently castrated, and was thought to be improving in 
condition; when examining him, I noticed that his eyes were small and 
did not look right, and I found that he was unable to see directly in 
front but could see sidewise. His appetite was also remarkable, he 
would eat everything within his reach ; musty hay or wet litter, if only 
soft, were devoured, and when nothing else could be found he would 
turn round and eat his oum dung as soon as dropped; apparently having 
either lost the sense of taste or acquired a deplorably depraved appetite. 
Under the circumstances, all hope of his ever being good for anything 
was now abandoned ; still he had the best of care, and manifested no 
pain, only when taking the first mouthful of water or when eating dry 
oats, which he masticated very slowly. Mr. Wood’s children named 
him “ the fool,” and used him for their own driving. Last summer, 
when four years old, he had gained in condition ; but, on several occa¬ 
sions, was observed to have attacks of—as they said— heart-beating and 
want of breath ; in one of these he fell, and lay for several minutes as if 
dead; they recurred at intervals for several months, when a few morn¬ 
ings after a very severe attack he was found dead. I received the head 
some four or five days after death ; all except the eyes was in an excel¬ 
lent state of preservation, they appeared very much shrunken or 
atrophied ; on exposing the brain, its substance was found quite soft 
its meninges were natural excepting along each side and under the medulla 
oblongata , where there was a greatly increased quantity of slightly congested 
tissue , partly in an emphysematous condition and evidently old ; this 
was all I could see wrong with it. I now proceeded to examine the 
nostrils and mouth ; although no abnormal nasal discharge had ever 
been noticed, yet the Schneiderian membrane, opposite the roots of both 
first molars of the upper jaw, was in a state of ulceration, the spots 
being an inch in diameter. On the mouth being opened, I found every 
molar of the upper jaw and four central incisors (1 mean the two pincers 
and two intermediates) diseased, and having cavities reaching from the 
crown to their roots , some of them large enough to admit a quill, while 
others would barely admit a knitting needle, excepting at the crown; 
they were largest in the first, second and sixth molars, all were filled 
