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PYORRHEA ALVEOLARIS. 11 " tartar." Tartar forms hard crusts, adhering to teeth and in contact with the gum. It is well known that the gum recedes from contact with tartar, such recession affording space for further accumulation and addition to the mass that thus rap- idly grows—sometimes to enormous proportions. This process of deposition, recession and redeposition when occurring upon a root, may continue until the affected side is denuded of gum and process almost to the apex. It is also true that such a root usually remains securely attached upon all other aspects, often continuing firm, or fairly so, in its im- paired socket, revealing no " pocket " and exhibiting no pus. A WORD ABOUT GINGIVITIS. The very common condition called gingivitis, consisting of inflamed, swollen and readily bleeding gums, is scarcely to be dignified as a disease, although it often is mistaken for pyorrhoea alveolaris, and is treated accordingly. Gingivitis readily responds favorably to simple treatment, which need consist merely in removal of deposits of tartar from about the cervix, to be followed by local applications of stimulative and astringent character. While experience has shown that in some instances salivary calculus may prevail in large masses on teeth, without serious consequences, unfortunately it appears that there often are evil influences from visible tartar that extend beyond the mere fact of gingival irritation, and contributing to the establish- ment of a definite pathological condition of the periosteum or pericementum—or both, in varying debtees'/', fcVwiflg, how-