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Scurvy in the Gums. 147
suffering it often occasions, we cannot but regret that a disease
so perfectly under our control, should be so often permitted to
make such sad inroads upon our health, our personal appear-
ance, and our comfort, as though the thousand ills, to which
man is heir, and which he cannot foresee or prevent, were
not enough to consummate his misfortunes.
Notwithstanding, there are many who neglect to pay atten-
tion to the disease, either in the hope of spontaneous relief or
from the fear of painful operations, till compelled to seek relief,
when too often the disease has made such progress that many
teeth are inevitably lost, and others much injured and more lia-
ble to future disease. It is in the power of every healthy per-
son, to keep his mouth free of the local causes of the disease,
which are also, the grand causes of external caries of the

traded, that nothing could preserve them. The two anterior molares of
"
the lower jaw had been extracted, and the crowns of the second were
decayed away. The bicuspides and canine teeth were sound and firm in
their sockets, but the incisor teeth were very much protruded and quite
loose. We gave it as our opinion, that this disease could be perfectly
cured, but that it would be necessary to extract the four incisores, the
roots of the decayed molar teeth of the lower jaw, and the four molar
teeth of the upper jaw. He would not allow the incisores to be removed,
but would submit to any other operations that might be deemed neces-
sary. His teeth were scaled in the most perfect manner, and the molar
teeth and stumps extracted, and the gums scarified between all the
other teeth, to relieve the turged vessels and induce a new action. Our
patient was furnished with an astringent lotion, (decoction of oak bark,)
and tooth powder. In a few days he returned when we found a great
improvement in the state of his mouth. The gums were again scarified,
though not so extensively as before, and he continued the use of the
lotion. In four weeks from the time of the first operation, every part of
the mouth, except the incisor teeth of the lower jaw, was perfectly
restored to health ; but here the disease continued in spite of every effort
till the teeth were removed.
June, 1832. Consulted by Mrs. — : , found her teeth covered with
large quantities of tartar—the gums much diseased and so sore that she
had not been able to use her brush for a long time. The crowns of most of
the molares had decayed away even with the gums. She had suffered
very much. Her teeth were carefully cleansed, every dead tooth removed,
which soon restored her gums to health. The incisores of the upper jaw
being much decayed, also three bicuspides, were plugged. She has not
been troubled with her teeth since these operations.