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GO Inaugural Dissertation. —
becomes exposed, and if this part be then touched with the
point of any instrument, pain is immediately produced, which
is always increased when the part is inflamed." Thomas Bell
on the Teeth. Page 13.
Sometimes teeth affected with the denuding process, or some
species of caries, are exquisitely sensitive; and it is remarka-
ble that as the diseased parts are removed with instruments,
the pain dimiuishesas we reach the sound bone. These facts we
conceive, prove that nervous fibres must traverse every part
of the bony structure of the teeth ; and that their extremities,
bordering on the diseased parts, are inflamed or morbidly sen-
sitive: and that the pain cannot arise directly from the iuler-
ucil membrane, from sympathy or concussion as supposed by
Richerand and some other physiologists. This is the more
probable, as it is impossible to conceive that a part of our sys-
tem, to which no nerves are distributed, (if there be such parts)
can communicate to the sensorium the sensation of pain. This
hypothesis can certainly require no further refutation. This
being granted, it is repugnant to sound reasoning to suppose
that vascular fibres do not also accompany the nervous fila-
ments.
Again, after a tooth has been plugged, the patient usually
experiences some pain when he takes any thing hot or cold
into his mouth, for two or three weeks after the operation,
on account of the metal being a better conductor of caloric
than bone is ; the nerve at length becomes accustomed to the
sudden transition of temperature, and no further inconvenience
is experienced. May not this phenomenon be rather owing to
some change in the organization of those parts of the teeth,
surrounding the plug? and is it not probable, that this change
is a recession of the arterious or nervous fibres, and deposition
of ossiiic matter in their minute canals ?
Finally, the phenomena displayed in the diseases of the
teeth, are powerful and conclusive argua:enls in favor of their
vascularity ; for we shall hereafter show that the constitutional
formation of the teeth, climate, great and sudden changes of