Page 235 - My FlipBook

233

be able to preserve his gums in a healthy state, and his teeth
firm and beautiful. Definite rules cannot be given which
shall perfectly suit every case, but it is believed that enough
has been said to enable the judicious physician and surgeon-
dentist to adapt these principles and remedies to the success-
ful cure of every case, in all their varieties, provided their
efforts and directions are seconded by the solicitous com-
pliance of the patients.

SECTION II.

Cancrum Oris.

This is a term applied to a distressing and dangerous affec-
tion attacking the gums of children and often terminating fa-
tally. It has prevailed to an alarming extent in the Children's
Asylum, located in the south part of this city. In the third
number of the North American Medical and Chirurgical
Journal, for July 1826, we have a description of this disease,
from the pen of Dr. H. B. Coates, at that time one of the
attending physicians of the children's Asylum before men-
tioned.
In this ingenuous and well written paper we have con-
densed a great portion of what is now known of this
disease. As I have seen but few cases of this disease
in its malignant form, I shall presume to extract so much
from Dr. Coates' paper as to give the reader an idea of its
history and treatment. Passing over the introduction and
reference to authors, among whom we notice the names of
Pearson, Senmertus, Vander Wiel Muys, M. Berthe, Can-
deville, Van Swieten &c., who described or referred to a
30