Page 77 - My FlipBook

Inaugural Dissertation. 57
to acquiesce in the opinion of Mr. Hunter, that the teeth possess
vitality, while yet they have no vascular action within them.
We naturally ask, how can such vitality exist, independently
of a circulation ? But there are not wanting examples of an
obscure and low degree of life existing in animals, ova and
seeds, for seasons, and if for seasons, why not for a term of
years?"
That there are animals existing without a circulation, is an
assertion altogether gratuitous. As for ova and seeds, we can
percieve no analogy, for in them life is dormant, and remains
in this state, till its proper stimuli call it into action, and if it
now be stopped, it is destroyed forever.
There may be animals existing for a season, without a circu-
lation, as the frog, when frozen up in winter ; but thil is a dif-
ferent thing ; life, in this instance also, is dormant, and remains
in this state, till the genial warmth of spring recalls it into
action ; this however, has not the least analogy, as applied by
Mr. Bell. A neutrient circulating fluid is the grand distinguish-
ing mark, between the animal, vegetable and mineral king-
doms as nothing can have life without this vital agent, and
;
when it ceases, the animal or vegetable returns to its native
elements..
With due defFerence to the opinion of Mr. Bell, we do not
believe, that the use of the internal membrane, is altogether to
give to the tooth a sufficient degree of vitality, to prevent its
acting as a foreign body, or that it is a mean,? of fixing the
tooth in its socket, for the healthy fang does not act as a foreign
body ; but we believe that nature intends it to nourish the
tooth, as well as to give it vitality and sensibility; and that
for this purpose, it sends arterious and nervous fibres through
its whole bony structure. That the internal membrane is not
altogether intended to prevent the fang from acting as a foreign
body in its sockets by giving it vitality, is proved by these-
facts :
First—When the carious crown of a tooth has been cut off,
and the perfectly healthy fang protected by a proper artificial