Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-03-13
EQUINE DENTISTRY
GETTING TO BE A PART OF THE
Te7lNARlAN'S BUSINESS.

4 New Case of Instruments-Curing Dis
agreeable Habits of Horses by Attend
est to Horse Owners.
"W'hat is itt" was the question put to DR..
r. L. Armstrong, the veterinary surgeon, as
he opened up large leathern case of formid-
able appearance exhibiting number OF
mammoth surgical forceps and other instru-
ments suggestive of dental surgery on a
grandiy expanded scale.
There were excising forceps of several
forms, extracting forceps, artery and bone
forceps, saws, rnamers, spoons and other par
aphernulia that quite set the teeth of the
spectators on edge
ITS IA new case of dental Instruments |
have lust received 50 said the doctor, ''tOr use
on horses Veterinary dentistry is getting
to be Il part of the business Of the educated
veterinarian, and "A very important one, too.
Veterinary dentistry Is an act Of humanity.
It not only relieves suffering, but produces "a
fine driving animal and a healthy horse, FIRE
quently prolonging life and usefulness five
years or more.
'"There are very few horses, young or old,
but have more or less sharp edges or projec-
lacerate the mouth, and the horse tries in
one way or another to relieve himself. Some
jerk and toss the head, drool or slubber;
others start suddenly, drive sideways shy,
or hold their heads in an unnatural manner
A defective mouth is often the cause of ser-
Gus trouble, rendering horse intractable
and vicious that otherwise would be pleas
ant driver.
EXPERIENCE AS A HORSE DENTIST
81 practiced dentistry ON human subjects
for several years, and for that reason the
field of horse dentistry was one that | en-
tered easily and naturally Here" con-
tinued DR.. Armstrong, showing reamers and
IA trephine, 'are some beautiful instruments.
used both of these yesterday on horse that
had broken skull, removing one piece of
bone an inch wide and an inch and half
long, besides several smaller pieces. The
horse will get well and be a good animal.
There are no instruments for filling, but
have filed teeth for a race horse"
"Gold fllingf" inquired listener. "Oh,
no." said the doctor; "gutta percha stopping.
1t made him good horse, and he was worth
less with bad teeth. Horses stand all these
dental operations nicely 1t is no trouble for
an operator who understands his business to
keep their mouths open"
Can you tell without examination whether
a horse has bad teeth or not"
Certainly. The moment / see horse go
by can tell whether his teeth hurt him.
SEQ hundreds of horses on the street here that
are suffering with lacerated jaws and cut
tongues. Every turn on the bit gives such
an animal pain. l went TO Putnam county
short time ago and found a valuable horse
starving to death The ANIMAL upon exam
natiou, proved to have a tooth that was de-
cayed and had split. One half buried itself
in the tongue and the other half forced its
way through the jaw. ! extracted it and the
horse is now sound and fat. There are many
similar cases. People, as a rule, are ready to
call veterinary surgeon for sick horse, but
they seldom think of the horses teeth, which
art IN many cases tine sole trouble of their
being thin and unthrifty
Horses having diseased teeth are hard to
keep in condition, and if poor it is impossible
to fatten them. More horses are blind from
irregular, diseased and sharp edged molars
than from any and all other causes. Opera
tions made in time will save such animals.
The removal of rough edges from the teeth
levels the mouth and enables the horse to
masticate his food properly. Many diseases
can be cured and disagreeable habits over
come by horse dentistry. D." - indianapolis
Journal.