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DYSTROPHIES OF THE TEETH. 11
since Mr. Hutchinson wrote, adding observation after observa-
tion, and has arrived at the conclusion that there is no special
form of disease that is especially blamable for this affliction, but
that any form of disease that seriously interferes with nutrition
is liable to bring about this result, i e., that it is not the partic-
ular form of disease, but that it is the condition of malnutrition
that is the cause, no matter what the disease which has induced
that condition. I have seen cases of typical Hutchinson teeth
which were certainly in no way connected with a syphilitic taint
of any kind.
Some of these observations may be of interest. Mr. and Mrs.
B., known by the author intimately from childhood, had a child
which seemed healthy at birth, but soon afterward became anemic
and did very badly for two years. Growth was a failure during
that time, and it was with great difficulty that the child was kept
alive. In its third year, however, the child recovered and became
strong and healthy and developed well. When the permanent
teeth came through the gums, almost the incisal third of the cen-
trals and laterals was badly dwarfed, the points of the cuspids
had failed and the occlusal surfaces of all of the first molars
were badly deformed.
I attended a child two and a half years old through a severe
case of typhoid fever. When the permanent teeth came through
they were marked with a deep groove, irregularly pitted, similar
to Figure 3, but not so high up on the crowns.
An English woman brought her child to me on account of
a very ugly marking of the incisors which had just come through
the gums. In reply to my inquiries she could not remember
that the child had had an illness of any kind. The boy had always
been healthy and had escaped all of the infantile diseases. Being
convinced that something had occurred that would have been
noted, I asked her if the child had had any kind of an injury.
This quickly brought out the statement that the child had had a
severe burn, a scald, on the side and back, that had healed slowly
after much suppuration. Indeed, the child had been very ill with
septicemia for a month or six weeks. The time corresponded
with the marks upon the teeth.
Cases like these, but every one different in detail, could
be multiplied almost indefinitely. Scarlet fever, measles and
whooping-cough come in for a large share in producing these
marks. My observations for some time led me to believe that
scarlet fever and measles are most often to blame for the rows
of fine pits, but of late I have found so many of these following
other forms of disease that I am led to doubt the distinguishing
DYSTROPHIES OF THE TEETH. 11
since Mr. Hutchinson wrote, adding observation after observa-
tion, and has arrived at the conclusion that there is no special
form of disease that is especially blamable for this affliction, but
that any form of disease that seriously interferes with nutrition
is liable to bring about this result, i e., that it is not the partic-
ular form of disease, but that it is the condition of malnutrition
that is the cause, no matter what the disease which has induced
that condition. I have seen cases of typical Hutchinson teeth
which were certainly in no way connected with a syphilitic taint
of any kind.
Some of these observations may be of interest. Mr. and Mrs.
B., known by the author intimately from childhood, had a child
which seemed healthy at birth, but soon afterward became anemic
and did very badly for two years. Growth was a failure during
that time, and it was with great difficulty that the child was kept
alive. In its third year, however, the child recovered and became
strong and healthy and developed well. When the permanent
teeth came through the gums, almost the incisal third of the cen-
trals and laterals was badly dwarfed, the points of the cuspids
had failed and the occlusal surfaces of all of the first molars
were badly deformed.
I attended a child two and a half years old through a severe
case of typhoid fever. When the permanent teeth came through
they were marked with a deep groove, irregularly pitted, similar
to Figure 3, but not so high up on the crowns.
An English woman brought her child to me on account of
a very ugly marking of the incisors which had just come through
the gums. In reply to my inquiries she could not remember
that the child had had an illness of any kind. The boy had always
been healthy and had escaped all of the infantile diseases. Being
convinced that something had occurred that would have been
noted, I asked her if the child had had any kind of an injury.
This quickly brought out the statement that the child had had a
severe burn, a scald, on the side and back, that had healed slowly
after much suppuration. Indeed, the child had been very ill with
septicemia for a month or six weeks. The time corresponded
with the marks upon the teeth.
Cases like these, but every one different in detail, could
be multiplied almost indefinitely. Scarlet fever, measles and
whooping-cough come in for a large share in producing these
marks. My observations for some time led me to believe that
scarlet fever and measles are most often to blame for the rows
of fine pits, but of late I have found so many of these following
other forms of disease that I am led to doubt the distinguishing
