The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-05-20
HORSES TEETH,
Treatment of Them by
Veterinary Surgeons.
Some Wonderful Operations
Have Been Performed.
Dentists Tools So Tooth Pullings in
III: Veterinary Clinic.

Veterinary science has so progressed
within Cwenty years that the old tnno
horse doctor" with his lancet and
his saddle bags filed with salts for
"drcnching, is only a memory. lie has
been succeeded by professional, who ia
"A tMec years course AT veterinary coli
lcge - as carefully instructed IN tie
anatomy Of the horse and the cause and
cure of equine diseases as is his medical
brother VINO mas elected 20 minister In the
III of the human race.
Special attention is nowadays being paid
To horse dentistry, many OF the ills to
which horseflesh is heir having been
traced 10 unsound teeth and imperfect
dentistry. Some veterinarians make "A
speciality OF dentistry. All OF them must
be prepared 10 perform number OF well
defined operations. The outfit of instru-
ments for the horse dentist Is as extensive
as that of his brother whose business is
with the molars of mankind.
Ihe glistening instruments Of torture
arc constructed on the same general prin-
ciples. but they are much larger. pair
OF forceps nine Inches long Is one of tho
neatest and smallest of the tools in u set
The illustrated catalogue of house de-
voted To the sale Of surgical Instruments
shows over 200 varieties of forceps cutters,
saws, chisels, etc, designed for horse
dentistry.
Horses teeth get too sharp and must be
dulled. Sometimes they get too dull, and
then they must be sharpened. Float
iug' is also the term for cleaning the
teeth. Tho operation must be performed
at least once "A year, and sometimes oftencr.
A News reporter saw good job done
recently. A Inolar In the upper jaw of "a
draught-horse, the only means of liycli-
hood of the colored man who led him IN,
was badly decayed. In an effort TO pull
the tooth himself using pair of black
IL l.i fat. Ina.
man had broken off the tooth. The horse
was in almost constant pain.
The animals head was tied up. and by
means of an ingenius appliance called
molar mirror the broken tooth was ex-
amincd. There was no surface upon which
any of the instruments at hand-and they
were Of infinite variety made for every
condition of teeth-could secure a hold. 10
was decided, therefore, To trephine tho
horses skull. a small auger-like instru-
ment was brought out. The horses head
was rendered steady, and, standing on
chair. one of the doctors cleyerly bored
round hole about the size of a dime
through the horses jawbone until the
root of the offending tooth was laid bear.
Then polished steel bar was handed
to the dentist. with u mallet The little
bar was inserted in the hole. An attend
ant pulled the lower jaw of the horse
aside. A few brisk taps with the mallet
upon the little bar each of which seemed
to send spasm of agony through tho
auivering frame Of the horse, and tho
tooth fell 60 the floor The horse seemed
to feel greatly relieved. The hole in the
Jaw was then plugged with an antiseptic
material, and the colored man was told
to bring his animal back on next clinic
day for further treatment This operation
nf trephining To the root OF tooth Is no
longer considered unusual.
i.hp upxt horsD looked III ho had
capped from the boneyard. His front teeth
were irregular and shaggy. A powerful
and cruel looking instrument called IA
perfected front tooth cutter, " which was
simply pair OF shears was used, and in
loss than two minutes tho bony old horse
had front teeth that were even on the
edge If still yellow and unsightly with
age
The last operation was the extraction
Of mo)ar from - young horses lower
jaw. This Is rarely done. and is never
done when it can be avoided. The lower
jaw fractures very easily, and the utmost
care is taken when extraction is rendered
necessary. Before the forceps were ap.
piled gum lancet was freely used, and
everything done To facilitate the removal.
The horse for this operation was thrown
to the floor. The lower jaw was held
in position TO permit the dentist TO w ork
by an apparatus invented for the purpose
4
doctor accepted the assistance Of an at
tenhant for the final pull. The tooth
came away all right
Filling Is "a comparatively new thing in
dentistry, but Is growing in favor among
horscmen, especially where the trouble is
with lower jaw teeth. Instruments are
in every veterinarians case for the bor-
ing out and cutting away of the rottod
portion OF the tooth. The process Of filling
Is similar To that followed in the human
mouth. Metal filing is used, preferably
aluminium. Tho filling Is packed in by
hand chsel and mallct The horse seems
To suffer no pain during the process.
This Is perhaps the most interesting
operation in horse dentistry up 10 date
False teeth for horses have not yet been
attempted, but there is no telling when
veterinary science will succeed in making
them.
In the veterinary colleges of today
diseases and the anatomy of dogs are also
taught. Canine dentistry, too, Is receiv-
ing a great deal ot attention. Dogs suffer
much from the diseases Of the teeth A
complete set Of Instruments for use on
dogs teeth can no purchased