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Very often as soon as the gum has retired from the body,
and some part of its fang is exposed, caries will take place
on its surface, and it will become very tender and extremely
sensible to almost any impression. The slightest increase or
decrease of temperature, will occasion more or less of un-
easiness and pain in the affected teeth ; peculiar pains will be
felt passing along the dental nerves. Those teeth which be-
come elongated, in consequence of the filling up of their sock-
ets from the swelling of the periosteum covering their fangs,
by this change in their position are constantly pressed upon
by the opposing teeth, which presses them upon the ten-
der and irritated periosteum, and causes a farther increase
of pain, until the patient becomes quite wretched, and in
some cases it becomes a pleasure to have the teeth extracted.
In children this disease is often attended with very alarming
and sometimes fatal consequences. In them the irritability
of the gums and of the general system is far greater than in
adults. Their gums become much swollen. The periosteum
lining the alveoli and covering the fangs of the teeth, be-
comes inflamed, extending to the maxillary bones, which im-
mediately loosens the teeth. Suppuration soon takes place
about the bodies of the last, accompanied with a considera-
ble discharge of matter. The teeth are covered with a dark,
filthy sordes. The system becomes generally excited, ac-
companied with symptoms of high irritation. The perios-
teum covering both jaws becomes affected, and in many
cases, the general excitement of the system is so great, that
united with all the other distressing, local symptoms, proves
the death of the patient.
The gums at first generally appear unusually red, and very
sensible, but after the disease has continued for some time
in a chronic state, they often appear very pale, and seem to
have lost much of their usual healthy action. Small swell-