Page 262 - My FlipBook

246 HUNTER ON THE TEETH.
ing the sensibility of the part ; but surely it would be better
at ouce to remove the cause, than to be attempting from
time to time to remove or palliate the effect. When the
sympathy is partial, and not in a vital part, it would be
better to allow it to continue than cure it, because it may
by such means become universal : for instance, if it is a
diarrhoea, the best way is to allow it to go on, or at least only
correct it if too violent, which is often the case. I have
seen cases, where the stomach and intestines have sympa-
thized so much, as almost to threaten death. The small
quantity of nourishment that the stomach could admit of
was hurried off by the intestines.
OF CUTTING THE GUMS.
As far as my experience has taught me, to cut the gum
down to the Teeth appears to be the only method of cure.
It acts either by taking off the tension upon the gum, arising
from the growth of the Tooth, or by preventing the ulceration
which must otherwise take place.
It often happens, particularly when the operation is per-
formed early in the disease, that the gum will reunite over
the Teeth ; in which case the same symptoms will be produced,
and they must be removed by the same method.
I have performed the operation above ten times upon the
same Teeth, where the disease had recurred so often, and
every time with the absolute removal of the symptoms.
It has been asserted, that to cut the gum once will be
sufficient, not only to remove the present, but to prevent any
future bad symptoms from the same cause. This is contra-
dictory to experiment, and the known laws of the animal
ceconomy ; for frequently the gum, from its thickness over the
Tooth, or other causes, must necessarily heal up again, and
the relapse is as unavoidable as the original disease.
A vulgar prejudice prevails against this practice, from an
objection, that if the gum is lanced so early, as to admit of a
re-union, the cicatrised parts will be harder than the original