A practical treatise on the human teeth: showing the causes of their destruction, and the means of their preservation / [William Robertson].

  • Robertson, William
Date:
1842
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A practical treatise on the human teeth: showing the causes of their destruction, and the means of their preservation / [William Robertson]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    6/290 page 2
    The author points out the danger of not attending to the beginning of caries at an earlier period of life than is usually expected. His general views of the disease, and his advice to unprofessional persons, are valuable and practical, so that we may safely recommend his volume to all.”—The Literary Gazette, November 9, 1839. “We are glad to perceive that Mr. Robertson is steadily following up his researches on a very important part of organ- ization with his accustomed clear-sightedness and success. We were surprised by the novelty and boldness of the opinions started in his first edition; but experience has developed nothing to indicate their fallacy. . . . From all these we consider the author has fairly established the correctness of his theory, and the fallacy of those founded upon inflammatory action. The descriptive portion of the work, with its illus- trations, are executed in the very best style.—Morning Post, January 3, 1840. “We have read this work with very great interest. Looking to the subject, which, at first view, certainly does not seem to possess much attraction for the general reader, this may seem merely a reviewer's flourish, but it is true, perfectly true, never- theless; and no one who takes up the book but will acknow- ledge a similar feeling, and by doing so, afforded the strongest proof that Mr. Robertson has eminently succeeded in that very difficult task, imparting a popular interest to a professional subject. It has been his aim to do so, and his success has - been complete. In this treatise Mr. Robertson teaches a new doctrine regarding the original cause of disease and decay of the teeth, and one at variance with that which has been hitherto entertained and promulgated by professional men —some of them of great eminence. This doctrine or theory is, that caries of the teeth proceeds originally, not from inflammation in the tooth as hitherto supposed, but from chemical action, resulting from tbe decomposition of particles of food lodged in the cavities and crevices of the teeth, which, in time, have the effect of corroding and destroying the enamel. Decay of the interior substance of the tooth follows; and inflammation of the numerous vessels that line its inner walls, the consequence of exposure, succeeds, and hence the pain of tooth-ache. Inflammation is thus, according to Mr. Robertson, the result and not the cause, of caries in the teeth; and he supports his opinion by a description of proof of so convincing a nature as to leaveno doubt whatever of the correctness of his theory. <At first sight it may not appear to the non-professional reader of much consequence which is the true original cause of caries in the teeth, whether inflammation or chemical action. But it is, in reality, of the last importance, as regards not only the subsequent treatment of these organs, but as regards the prevention of their decay, and all the tortures of tooth- ache. Until the non-professional reader however has perused Mr. R’s treatise, he can have no adequate idea of this; and we
    digitised image 1
    digitised image 2
    digitised image 3