Page 325 - My FlipBook

where there was erosion and caries. She was purged frequent-
ly by the advice of a physician, and cupping glasses were ap-
plied to the shoulders. But as she would not consent to the
extraction of her tooth, the continual pain not ceasing, the ir-
ritation and attrition of the defluxion on the gums gave birth
to an Opthalmia of the same side. Cataract and the loss of
sight followed this opthalmia ; because a part of the humours
were dissipated, while the use of cold medicaments had con-
densed another part of the humours.

Singular Opthalmia.

A young lady from sixteen to eighteen years, had the second
great molar tooth of the upper jaw of the right side extreme-
ly carious, without being painful, only in drinking or eating
any thing too hot or cold. This reason was sufficient to op-
pose the intention I had to extract it ; she consented to have
it plugged, which I did with the greatest precaution. The
following month, and about the time of her courses, the eye
on this side became irritated and inflamed : the tooth became
apparently loose. The time for her courses having passed,
the opthalmia disappeared, and the tooth became solid. On
another return of her courses, the same opthalmia returned,
but more severe than the first, which also disappeared at the
end of her courses. The accident re-appeared a third time :
I removed the plug from the tooth—on the following day
there was no more of the opthalmia, and the courses regular.
After this third time I cauterized the tooth with red hot iron,
and plugged it. New term of the courses, new opthalmia.
I removed the plug from the tooth; the opthalmia disap-
peared. I put cotton in the tooth, and every day that I took
it out I found it charged with a sanguineous and purulent hu-
mour of a very fetid smell. These accidents made the pa-