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her face, nearly opposite the roots of the first large double
teeth of the lower jaw on the left side, from whence there
was a continual discharge of matter, over which she wore a
piece of black silk to conceal it. About two years before,
she had been under the care of an eminent surgeon, who
had taken out part of a tooth, leaving the other part in : the
discharge of matter was not, however, decreased by it, nor
by any other methods used. She was attended by him three
months without any advantage ; at the end of which time
she went home, she living at a distance from him. I exam-
ined the teeth, and found one root of the first large double
tooth of the left side in the under jaw, which I suspect to be
the cause of the complaint ; the other root had been drawn
by the surgeon as mentioned above. I recommended the re-
maining tooth to be taken out, which was consented to, and
the operation performed immediately. The day following,
the discharge from the wound was much lessened ; she went
home the next day, and I have since heard that she got well
in a very short time, without any farther assistance."
The following case is mentioned by Mr. Koecker.
*Case XXIV. Mrs. K. of Philadelphia, a lady about
twenty eight years of age, had been suffering for some time
from an abscess under the chin, on the left side. Being igno-
rant of the nature of the disease, she sought no surgical aid,
under a hope that it would get well of itself; but it grew
worse, and was attended with a constant discharge of fetid
pus, with great pain in the whole jaw and mouth, extending
as far as the ear. These symptoms at last became so violent
as to produce general disorder and fever. At this time Dr.
Physick was consulted, who, having discovered the malady
to be a fistulous abscess passing through the under maxillary

* Koecker, pages, 262, 263.