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THE EICUTEENTU CEXTLR) 283
was removed by the dentist Carnieline after the patient liad been tortured
with useless operations bv surgeons, who, not rec()i:;ni/ing the true seat of
the evil and mistaking it for a tumor in the cluek, had, over and above
all the rest, produced a permanent disfigurement of the patient's face and
a perforation of the cheek that he was obliged to keep closed for the
remainder of his life with a wax plug, to prevent the exit of the saliva
and ot li(|uid or masticated aliments.'
Several important observations on obstinate cases of cephalalgia, pro-
sopalgia, otalgia, and other varieties of pain arising from dental caries
are to be found in Chapter XXXIII. In all these cases the removal of
the decayed tooth or teeth procured the prompt cessation of pain. Among
others worthy of note is a case of violent otalgia caused b\' the
decay of a lower molar, which, however, was itself not painful. This
circumstance drew Fauchard himself into error, causing him to believe
that the otalgia was mdependent of the decayed tooth; he therefore
merely stopped the tooth to prevent the caries from extending farther.
The pain in the ear continued, however, and the patient therefore con-
sulted a doctor of the Faculty of Paris, Coutier, who told her that the
decayed tooth might be the cause of the earache, and that, therefore,
before undertaking any other cure, she ought to have it extracted. This
advice was followed and the earache ceased pr()mj-)tl\ and completeh."
In another case a patient twenty-seven years of age was tormented
b\' violent pain in all her teeth on the left side, in the temple and the
ear, as well as in the chin, the palate, and the throat. The doctors and
surgeons consulted decided the cause to be rheumatism. The patient
was bled not less than four times and subjected to various other methods
of treatment (purgatives, chsters, poultices, etc.), but all in vain. She,
however, perceiving that one of her teeth was decayed, had it taken out.
It was believed that the cause of the malady had thus been found and
removed; but an hour later the pain began again with the same violence
as before, continuing for some months; after this it ceased of itself.
On the return of the pain, later on, in all its former intensity, the patient
consulted the ver\^ able surgeon Petit, who advised her to see Fauchard,
as possibly the malady might have its cause and point of departure in
some bad tooth. Fauchard found one of the inferior molars decayed.
This being extracted, the pain promptly ceased, not to return any more.''
Chapter XXXV contains twelve cases of serious maladies arising
from dental diseases. One of these cases was observed in a patient
aged fifty-seven years, who in consequence of caries of the last inferior
molar on the right lost through necrosis a considerable portion of the
lower jaw, including the whole of the right cond)le; he was affected,
' Page 411. ' Page 418.
* Page 397.