Page 111 - My FlipBook

109

on the side of it next the lateral incisor there was a bulbous
protuberance of the cortex striatus, with a hollow or depres-
sion in the middle ; this protuberance did not, however, extend
to the apex of the tooth. Between the bulbous part and the
perfectly formed body of the tooth, there was also a deep
groove, which perhaps retained part of the investing mem-
brane longer than usual, or the external lamella of the mem-
brane was not wasted, for there was a substance somewhat
similar to the Crusta Petrosa of graminivorous animals depos-
ited round the protuberance of the cortex striatus, and even
on a considerable portion of the root. This substance stuck
out and formed a sharp hook under the lip, which was very
troublesome to the person, and as there was not sufficient
room for the tooth in the arch of the jaw, it was of course
advisable to have it removed. This is the only instance I
have met with, or even heard of, where a Crusta Petrosa was
deposited on a human tooth.
With respect to the uncommon situation of the teeth in
the jaw, by far the most curious case is related by Albinus of
an adult in whom he found " two teeth, one on each side of
the nose, between it and the orbits of the eyes, enclosed in
the roots of those processes, which extend from the maxil-
lary bones to the eminence of the nose. They were long
and remarkably thick, similar to the canine teeth, and seem to
have been these very teeth which had not in this case ap-
peared. But there were, besides these, other canine teeth,
unusually small and short, placed in their proper sockets.
The former seem therefore to have been the new canini
which had not penetrated their sockets, on the contrary they
were situated where the new ones usually are observed to be
in children. But what is still more strange, the points of their
bodies were turned towards the eyes, as if they had been
the new canine teeth inverted, convex on the posterior part.