Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-04-01
GRANTS NEGLECTED TEETH.
DR.. Abbott Suggests that 1t Was They
and Not His Cigars that Caused the
Cancer.

Dr. Abbott Suggests that 1t Was They
and Not His Cigars that Caused the
Cancer.
EeaO York Sun.
| DR.. Frank Abbott, of % West Fortieth
street, Gen. Grants dentist, has prepared
paper on THE Case of Gen. Grant,
Which viii appear in the IRdeDendent
| Practitioner on Tuesday. DR.. Abbott has
| held the chair of Operative Dentistry and
Dental Therapeutics in the New York
| Colege OF Dentistry for seventeen years,
! For good while Gen. Grant has worn
/ a plate with four teeth in 'front.'" DR.. Alb
/ ooft said last night. she can't wear it
/ now, and his upper lip drops in slightly.
! bis moustache hides it. He has teeth
/ enough left to masticate. There are a
| dozen remaining in the lower jaw, and
! eight upper teeth, chiefly on the left SIDE"
Dr. Abbotts paper is as follows:
There have appeared in the medical
journals and daily papers so many state
mants in reference to the case Of Gen.
Grant, the condition of his teeth, their re-
moyal, etc, that | am induced to give to
| the profession, through your columns, the
facts as far they have come under my OBJ
servatiOn and treatment.
''On Nov. 8, 1884, Gen. Grant consulted
me in reference to the advisability of
having the right upper first mOlar ex-
tracted, stating that he had been suffer-
ing for week or ten days with great pain
on that side Of his head and face, and
that his physician, DIR. Fordyoe Barker,
who advised him TO consult me, had ad-
vised the removal Of this tooth, as il was,
in his opinion, the cause Of great irrita-
ton and pain.
Upon examination I found the tooth
dead, with an abscess at the apex Of the
anterior buccal root. The tooth was con-
siderably projected from its original posi-
ton, the neck and, perhaps, one halt the
length Of the roots covered with tartar. |
agreed with DR.. Barker that this was
probably the cause, in measure at least,
OF his neuralgia, and advised him TO have
it removed at once, which he did. The
relief from localized pain was prompt ard
highly satisfactory to the General, as we'll
as to myself.
81 made no further examination of his
teeth at that time, as he expressed a de-
sire to make appointment with me in a
few days TO have what further done would
be found necessary for the health and
comfort of his mouth, and for the reason
/ that he wished time TO Tecuperate from
the distres sing pain, sleeplessness, ETC.,
| from which he had been suffering.
son the 14th of the same month I again
saw him, and carefully examined his re-
naming teeth. The first to particularly
attract my attention were the second and
! third mOlaTs, back of the place from which
had previously removed the first, name.
! ly, the right upper second and third mo-
lars, both of which were projected from a
| quarter to three-eighths of an inch down
from their original positions, the necks
and roots coated quite thickly with a dark
| brown or black tartar. The sockets, in
| consequence, were almost entirely alb
sOrbed, and the teeth so loose that they
might easily have been removed with the
ancient lead fOTceps. In addition to this,
the second molar was very badly decayed,
the side broken, and the pulp dead. The
gum around these teeth was highly in
famed, which Inflammation extended to
the root of the mouth and back into the
fauces.
binding these teeth in so deplorable a
condition, and there being no antagOniz-
ing teeth, | advised their immediate re-
mOVal, believing as did then and do now,
that they had had more or less to do in
aggraVating at least the disease which
then aud which had for five months pre-
viOusly existed in his throat and upon his
tongue. He consented, and | at once re-
moved the teeth. | then removed some
Of the tartar from other teeth In his mouth
and dismissed him. again saw him on
the 18th of the same month, at which
time thoroughly cleansed the remaining
teeth and put in some filling, all that was
necessary to do upon the teeth remaining
In hts mouth.
81 have previously said that believed
the teeth / removed to have been more Or
less instrumental in aggravating the dis
ease Of his throat and tongue. How long
the teeth bad been in the condition gene
rally in which l found them am unable
to say, but presume (ahd / Judge from
all the conditions descrlbed) that it had
been for many years.
"lf we take into consideration the high
ly inflamed condition of that region OF his
mouth, the rough services Of broken teeth,
and the tartar covering them, against
which that side of the tongue was almost
constantly rubbing, l would ask If / am
not justified in concluding that the dis
ease from which the General is now suf-
fering has not had sufficient cause for its
development III the constant irritants here
described, instead Of attributing it to the
habit OF smoking, which seems to be the
prevailing opinion, at least among the
laity.
81 hope that this case may be a solemn
warning to all those advancing in years
against the tolerance OF any rough sur
faces (such as are here described } in their
mouths, by which the tongue or cheek
may be kept in state of constant irrita-