The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-12-09
PULLING HORSES TEETH.
How the Fire Department Animals
Acted.

HOW Ln6 LOOo4 animals
Acted.
The dental operations upon the teeth of
the horses at fire headquarters yesterday by
Veterinary Dentist George A Bower were
witnessed by an interested group of spec
tators
DIR. Bowyer operated on the horses
mouths exactly as a dentist does upon a
human. He threw the horses heads back.
nDened their mouths with one hand and
onerated on their teeth with the other.
The animals behaved quietly during the
oDeration. They seemed to realize that
what was being done was for their relief,
and acted accordingly. DIR. Bowyer ex.
tracted about half a dozen teeth from the
different horses and cut the projectors Of
all. and filed down the teeth to the proper
level. After being operated on the horses
seemed more frisky, and ate their food with
much more apparent relish.
"Old Kate" Chief Puder's buggy horse,
has suffered more from her teeth than any
horse in the department. Several teeth ia
the back part Of her mouth had worn to
such sharp edge that every time she at
tempted to masticate food they would pene-
trate the flesh and cause her acute suffering
Oftentimes lately Kate has let the food drop
back out of her mouth into the trough
rather than undergo the pain Of attempting
20 eat it. When DR.. Bowyer walked over
TO her yesterday with his instrument S in his
hand Kate seemed to thoroughly under.
stand that her sutferiugs were to be relieved,
and as the dentist opened her mouth she
threw back her head and stood most patient
ly, with a perfect look Of qualification on
her face while DR.. Bowyer piled the scissors
on the projectors and filed down the edges.
After the dentist completed his job on Kate
she gave several whinnies Of delight and
rubbed her nose on his shoulder as if she
was trying to return thanks.
DR.. Bower uses "a spectrum to keep open
the mouth OF horses with protracted jaws.
He had to use it only IN one instance with
the fire horses yesterday. To-day he will
operate on the horses at No. and No. 4
engine houses.
DR.. Bowyer, speaking to a MORNING
NEWS reporter about his profession, said:
Eyes, it is modern science, but as neces-
sary as human dentistry. The horse
suffers as much from teeth troubles
as man, and before veterinary dentistry
was brought into vogue thousands of fine
animals died from diseases superinduced by
teeth affections. Horses are constructed
very similar to man. They suffer from
throat and lung troubles and are prone to
dyspepsia and indigestion. In their eating,
however, the movement of the teeth is
different. Humans masticate food up and
uONu, "Allo uOIooS iIOiu Slllo W sue.
This grinding with the molars wears the
lower teeth to a sharp point on Che in-
terror and the upper on the exterior. These
sharp points larcerate the mouth and cause
the animals untold torture. Some Of the
effects of bad teeth are weak eyes, colicky
symptoms. lampas, crib biting, wind-suck-
ing, hide bound and a staring coat Horses
that have habit of throwing their heads
up and down, or from side to side, bearing
on the rein from right to left, stopping
short, starting quickly or drooling from
the mouth generally are worried by their
teeth and will become almost new animals
il the molars are looked after"
DR.. Bowyer fills horses decayed teeth
with amalgam. and ia fact does everything
In the dentistry line except make plates and
furnish the animals with false teeth. From
Savannah he goes to Mobile and New
Orleans to fix the teeth of the fire depart
ment hcrses in those cities,