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ABSCESS OF THE ANTRUM. 941
By far the larger number of alveolar abscesses discharging on the
face are situated in the lower jaw ; this is undoubtedly for the reason
that in this position the tendency is for the pus to be carried downward
Fig. 498.
Skull with the Malar Process cut away, exposing the Antrum of Hlghniore, and with the Buccal
Plate of the Alveolar Process removed, exposing the Roots of the Teeth, thus showing the rela-
tions of the Koots of the Teeth to the Antrum.
by gravitation. The greater number of these cases occur after the abscess
has at one time opened on the gum, but finally has discharged so little pus
that the fistula has closed. Then the pus that remains burrows little by
little in the direction in which it is carried by gravitation, until it finally
finds its way to the surface—usually,
somewhere along the lower border
of the inferior maxilla. As show-
ing how insidious this creeping of
pus may be, I recall a case in which
I was treating an abscess at the root
of a lower incisor for a patient in my
own house ; the case did not progress
very favorably, but after a few weeks
the discharge ceased and the fistula
closed. Some time after this, when
I was congratulating myself that the
cure would be permanent, the patient
one day called my attention to a '' lit-
tle pimple " under the chin, On ex- Alveolar Abscess at the Root of an L'pper Mo-
lar discharging into the Antrum of High-
am illation, I found, to my astonish- more: », abscess-cavity in the bone; 6, mouth
of listula on the floor of the antrum; c, pus
ment, that the abscess, which I had
in the antral cavitv.
thought well, had found a new out-
let in that position, the pus having followed along the periosteum as
.shown in Fig. 500. This had occurred so quietly that the patient
had discovered no unpleasant symptoms, though I had now and then
inquired after his conditon. This is a form seen quite frequently,
as compared with other abscesses opening on the face. These may,
however, present anywhere on the face belo\v the lip, though just under
