Three memoirs on the developement, structure of the teeth and epithelium : read at the ninth annual meeting of the British Association for the Encouragement of Science, held at Birmingham, in August, 1839 : with diagrams exhibited in illustration of them / by Alexander Nasmyth.

  • Nasmyth, Alexander, 1789-1849
Date:
1841
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Three memoirs on the developement, structure of the teeth and epithelium : read at the ninth annual meeting of the British Association for the Encouragement of Science, held at Birmingham, in August, 1839 : with diagrams exhibited in illustration of them / by Alexander Nasmyth. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    “ matter proper to the enamel appears to have been much underrated. The pulp is observed to he cellular “ throughout its internal structure^ and this structure is “ essentialhj concerned in the developement of the ivory, “ which is neither more nor less than the ossified pulp. There exists a great analogy between the internal or productive surface of the capsule and the external or productive surface of the pulp. The membranous in- vestment of the enamel in human teeth (lately discovered “ by the author) displays a similar arrangement. The “ crusta petrosa is provided with a membranous invest- “ ment. The whole of this paper was illustrated by “ numerous interesting diagrams. “ The subject of the developement of the ivory was “ treated by Mr. Nasmyth in a separate paper read before “ the Medical Section.” I now with confidence leave the reader to form his own judgment of the consistency of my opinions from the fol- lowing documents, the original materials of my communi- cations at Birmingham, and after an examination of the whole, he will learn with surprise, I think, that the only plea, so far as I can guess, for withholding my own con- densed report from publication in the Transactions of the Association, has been, that it contains the theory of the formation of ivory by ossific transition instead of by “ exu- dation,” which latter theory it has been ridiculously at- tempted to show that I supported at Birmingham ; and I think it must be evident that the Council, in indirectly favouring this attempt, by neglecting my original offer to afford full satisfaction in the only possible manner, as w'ell as by totally disregarding all the unexceptionable evidence quoted above, has shown that it has been unconsciously biassed in its pi’oceedings ; but I have no doubt that it will yet restore me to my rights, and deliver to the asso- ciates my authentic report, which is their indefeasible ])roperty.