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which to me seemed conclusive, that the diseases of the teeth
do at times excite pulmonary affections.
Mrs. S , a married- lady, aged about thirty-five years,
residing in this city, with whom I had been acquainted for
some months, sometime in May or April 1827, suffered me
to examine her teeth. She was at the time troubled with a
hacking cough, which she had had for several months, and said,
" that she was afraid that she should have the consumption or
:" upon examining her teeth, I found that several
had got it
of them were in the worst state of disease, and rendered
her breath exceedingly offensive. I indeed wondered that
the lungs of any person could bear the ingress and egress of
such offensive matter. Upon assuring her that I thought her
cough would be relieved by having her teeth extracted and
cured, she consented to have it done. I accordingly ex-
tracted eight diseased teeth and stumps, and by a suitable ap-
plication of remedies succeeded in rendering her mouth,
teeth, and gums, perfectly healthy, and soon after this with-
out the farther aid of medicine her cough left her, and her
general health became perfectly good, and continues so to
this time. I also am acquainted with a lady who has been
affected with a cough for several years, and, as far as I can
learn of her, it commenced soon after a diseased state of the
teeth had taken place : at this time her teeth are in the worst
state of disease, and the pulmonary affection is gradually un-
dermining the powers of the system. I have urged her to
have her diseased teeth extracted or rendered healthy by
dental operations, but from an alleged fear of the pain atten-
ding it, she declines having any thing done for their cure.
The following case of phthisis, has confirmed me in the
fullest degree, that consumption is occasionally produced by
disease in the teeth, jaws, &c. June 10th of the present year,
Dr. George M'Clellan of this city sent to me a patient of