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38 HISTORY OF DENTAL SURGERY

upon a thousand matters which will he useful and pleasing to them, withou!.
reading the manual and tlie deseription of the instruments, which, I con-
fess, to those who are not willing to pursue the profession, would be very
uninteresting."'

ANATOMY.

FauchardV anatomical discussion may deserve just a mention. He say^
the fleshy substance which covers and surrounds the alveolus is called the
gums. He writes: "It is a continuation of the membrane or skin, whicli is
known by the name of periosteum, which immediately covers the bones, as also
v.'ith tliat which lines the inside of the mouth. The gums, as well as the
united bony hands or alveolus, serve to embrace and hold fast the teeth.
'"In each tooth we recognize two distinct j)arts, one is that which is ex-
ternal, which is not included in the alevolus, and' this is called the body or
corpus of the tooth. Upon its base or foundation there is generally a small
circular depression, which is more or less marked, and called the neck or
collar iif the tooth. Tiiis is covered by the gum in part. The second portion
lies hidden in the alveolus and is called the root of the tooth. The four teeth
which are in front of each jaw are called incisors, from the Latin wonl
which means cutting, and the protruding ends of these teeth are particularly
adapted for the cutting of food. The dog teeth are placed directly behind the
incisors and these are two in each jaw. The}' are called dog, or canine,
teeth because of their similarity to the teeth of dogs. The teeth which im-
mediately follow the canines are two small and three large cheek teeth, oi-
molars, placed on each side of the jaws. They are di\ided into large and
small molars, because the first two which appear are not as thick and not
supplied with as many elevations upon the ends of their bodies as those that
follow after, and because they have fewer roots than those that are behind
(hem. When the two jaws are closed the elevations of the teeth formed
Ijy the under jaw fall into the depressions of the teeth formed by the n])per
jaw and the elevations of the teeth of the upper jaw drop into the depression.s
of the teeth of the lower jaw. This arrangement enables them to crack and
grind the hardest and firmest foods completely, and in this manner thev
triturate tlie foods wliich the action of tiie incisors and the canines lias begun
to prepare.
''The liodv of each tooth has been given the name of crown, but sucli name
appears inadaptable e.xcejiting for tlie body of a molar. These alone have a