Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-04-18
BAD TEETH, NOT TOBACCO.
a new Theory of the Cause of Cener.,
Grants Illness,

hy Va ene cause OF General
Grants Illness.
Dr Frank Abbot, General Grants dem
llst, says that bad teeth, and not excessive
.noAils, nave caused General Grants i'll
: ness. In paper in periodical devoted m
taental matters, he says: There have an ~
peared in the medical ionrnsls and X
daily papers so many statements in r'r res Sne
snce to the case of General Grant the CON
dition of his teeth. their removal, etc, that
4 am induced TO give to the profession,
through your columns, the facts as far as
| tney have come under my observation and
treatment. On November 8, 1884, General
Grant consulted me in reference TO the adj
visibility of having the right upper first
moiar extracted, stating that he had been
suffering week or ten days with great
PAIN IN that side of his head and face,
and that his physician, DR.. FJrdyce
Barker, who advised him to consnlt
me, had advised the removal of this
tooth, as 1t was, in his opinion, |
the cause of great irritation and pain |
upon examination found the tooth dead. |
with an abscess at the apex of the anterior |
ouccal root. The tooth was considerably |
projected from its original position. the !
neck and, perhaps, one half the length of !
Inc roots covered wit. tartar l agreed
with DR.. Barker that this was probably the
cause, IN q measure, at least, of his neural
gla, and advised him to have it removed at
once, which he did. The relief from local
lzed pam was prompt and highly satisfac. !
tory to the General, as we'll as to myself
l made no further examination of his
teeth at that time, as be expressed desire
70 make an appointment with me in few
DAYS, to have what further done would be
found necessary for the health and COM
tort OF his mouth, and for the reason
that he wished time to recuperate from
the distressing pain, sleeplessness, etc,
from which he had been suffering. On
the iith OF the same month again
saw him, and carefully examined his re-
teeth. The first to particularly
attract my attention were the second and I
third molars. back of the place from which /.
had previously removed the first, name
~, the upper second and third molars
both OF which were projected from quar- n
Ter to three-eighths of an inch down from y
heir original positions, the necks ard roots Z
;oated quite thickly with dark brown or .
black tartar. The sockets in consequence r
ire almost entirely absorbed, and the teeth :
20 loose that they might easily have been
emoved with the ancient lead forceps. In p
edition to this, the second molar was very =,
'adly decayed, the side broken and the =
'ulp dead. The gum around these teeth y,
Tas highly inflamed, which inflammation =
xtended TO the roof oftbe mouth and back @,
lto the fauces. Finding these teeth in so D,
epiorable condition, and there being no ~
teeth, advised their ilnme- ~
late removal, believing as | did then and a,
o now that they had more or less to do in \
sgrayating, at least the disease which p
zen, and which had for five months pre- pr
Iously, existed in his throat and upon his
'ngue. He consented, and l at once re- NJ,
loved the teeth. l then removed some of Tp
lie tartar from other teeth in his mouth and
him. again saw him on the ! or
tn OF the same month, at which time | | TT
oroughly cleansed the remaining teeth CI,
I'd put i'll some filling, all that was neces- ar
ry to do upon the teeth remaining in his = !
outh. / have previously said that be- IN
wed the teeth | removed to have been .
ore or less instrumental III aggravating Pc
e disease of his throat and tongue How Six
ne the teeth had been in the condition ma
nerally i'll which /. found them am un- &C &c
lie to say, but presume land judge from Lac
the conditiOns) that it had been for swe
any years. If we take into consideration -
e highly intlamed condition ofthat region P anN
his mouth, the rough surfaces of broken per
,th and the tartar covering them against =
iich that side of the tongue was almost -+1
instantly rubbing / would ask if am not n
tlfled IN concluding that the disease from 83
lich the General Is now suffering has not IA
sufficient cause for its development in u
constant irritantS here described in a an e
ad of attributing it to the habit of smok- i
!, which seems 10 be the general opinion,
least among the laity l hope that this I
e may be solemn warming to those adj g
icing in years against the tolerance of | =
7 rough surfaces (such as here described | 9
their mouths by which the tongue or L
EEK may be kept in a state of constant If d {
tion'' ne