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176 THIRD PERIOD—MODERN TIMES

must have raised the idea in his mind that the roots of the milk teeth
remained in the socket, and that the upper part of the temporary teeth,
instead of being a continuation of the root, was joined to this as a simple
appendix, and in a very weak way, as though designed to remain in place
for a limited length of time only.
In Vesalius"^ is found a dental terminology—Latin, Greek, Hebrew,
and Arabic—which affords some interest. The incisors are called in
Latin incisoni, risorn, quaterni, quadrnpli ; and the two middle incisors
have been denominated by some authors diiales. The canines are called
in Greek kynodontes, which means the same as the Latin canini, dog's
teeth. In Latin they have been also denominated mordentes, and by some
also risorii, a name which by others is given to the incisors, as we have
already seen. The molars have also been called in Latin maxillares,
paxillares, mensales, genunii.'- But some authors give this last name
only to the last molars, or wisdom teeth, denies sensus et sapie?jtice et
intellectus. These teeth have also been called serotini (that is, tardy),
(Ftatein cojuplentes (that is, completing the age, the growth), and also,
m barbaric Latin, cayseles or caysales, fiegugidi, etc.
In the rebellion against the authority of the ancients, Vesalius
had a predecessor whose name, deservedly famous, may be recorded
here. Paracelsus (born in 1493 at Maria-Einsiedeln, Switzerland), on
being nominated, in 1527, Professor of Medicine and Surgery at Basle,
inaugurated his lectures by burning in the presence of his audience, who
were stunned by such temerity, the writings of Galen and Avicenna,
just as Luther, seven years before, had burnt in the public square of
Wittenberg the papal bulls and decretals. The sixteenth century, in
its exuberance of intellectual life, was undoubtedly one of the grandest
centuries in history ; human thought in that glorious epoch shattered its
chains, and declared its freedom both in matters of science and of religion.
Paracelsus, a man of powerful genius, but not well balanced in mind,
of corrupt morals, and of an unlimited pride, had, notwithstanding these
undeniable defects, the merit of beginning a healthy reform in the science
and practice of medicine, by substituting the study of nature for the author-
ity of the ancients and by giving a great importance to chemistry, both for
the explanation of organic phenomena and for the cure of disease.
It is to be lamented that this man of genius did not contribute in any
way to the progress of dentistry. His works have no importance for us.
As a matter of mere curiosity we only record here that Paracelsus con-
sidered the too precocious development of the teeth as a great anomaly,
and regarded as monsters those children who were born with teeth.'*

I/il>. i, c;i|). xlii, |). 141.
' - From gcna, a cheek.
I)l;m