Page 268 - My FlipBook

252 HUNTER ON THE TEETH.
fingers and thumb constantly clenched, and so irregularly,
that they appeared distorted. All the common antispas-
modic medicines were given, and continued for several
months, but without success.
I scarified the gums down to the Teeth, and in less than
half an hour all the contractions had ceased. This, however,
only gave relief for a time. The gums healed ; the Teeth con-
tinued to grow, and rilled up the new space acquired by the
scarifications ; and the same symptoms appeared a second
time.
The former operation was immediately performed ; and
with the same success.

Case II.—A boy, about two years of age, was taken with
a pain and difficulty in making water ; and voided matter
from the urethra. I suspected that by some means or other
this child might possibly be affected by the venereal poison ;
and the suspicion naturally fell on the nurse.
These complaints sometimes abated, and would go off
altogether ; and then return again. It was observed at last,
that they returned only upon his cutting a new Tooth, this

perspired profusely at night ; her breath was very offensive, the bowels
costive, and she shouted, moaned, and talked in her sleep. One day
she fell into a fit, for which a physician ordered her to be bled, and
she recovered sufficiently to attend as an out-door patient at the dis-
pensary. Three weeks after she had another fit. It appeared she had
been very odd and nervous in her manner, and often cried ont from
cramp in the legs, which was succeeded by her thumb being drawn in
towards the palm ot the hand, and her fingers being clenched upon it.
The patient was in a state of tetanus, that is, the body was stretched
out and the muscles were perfectly rigid. When the mouth was
examined, the upper wisdom teeth were in place, but those in the lower
jaw were covered with a hard cartilaginous substance ; this was
freely cut through with the lancet, and the young woman was relieved
instantly.
M. Escpiirol informed Velpeau that he had a case of mental derange-
ment where the patient was restored to reason by a crucial division of
the sum which liberated the wisdom tooth. 1