Outlines of the veterinary art; or, a treatise on the anatomy, physiology, and curative treatment of the diseases of the horse : and subordinately, of those of neat cattle and sheep illustrated by surgical and anatomical plates / Delabere Blaine.

  • Blaine, Delabere (Delabere Pritchett), 1770-1845.
Date:
1841
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Outlines of the veterinary art; or, a treatise on the anatomy, physiology, and curative treatment of the diseases of the horse : and subordinately, of those of neat cattle and sheep illustrated by surgical and anatomical plates / Delabere Blaine. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    wears away faster, and thus leaves two ridges on the nipping surface, one of which surrounds the central cavity [see plate 2], and the other embraces the outer surface, but both serve to raise prominences for the double purpose of cropping the food and holding it between the teeth when necessary ; by which also the teeth become a more terrible weapon of offence. The horse, as is well known, has two sets of nipping and grinding teeth, a temporary and a permanent set. In the outset we shall treat only of what are called the nippers among horsemen, and incisors by naturalists. About a week or ten days after birth, the foal puts out two. front nippers above and below, which seem to fill up almost the whole of the alveolary border. The little jaw enlarges, however, so rapidly, that about the fourth or fifth week the middle nippers also find room to appear, and, with this complement of temporary or milk teeth, this sportive and interesting ani- mal frolics around, until towards his sixth month, when he becomes fur- nished with two corner nippers above and below. In very forward colts, the dentition partakes also of the early evolution, and thus these corner nippers, known among breeders as the shell teeth, will sometimes appear as early as the fifth month; but in cold situations, with a spare supply of ge- nerous milk, they are occasionally kept back until two or even three months later. The animal has now its full ‘colt’s mouth’ or nippers; and the com- pletion of the process occurs most opportunely at a time when its wants, from increased growth, become greater, and its maternal supplies less, the milk of the mare beginning about this time to decrease. This early or temporary set of nippers, as might be expected, differ from the permanent or horse teeth by being altogether smaller and whiter, and also by having a well-marked neck to each, which ends m a more pointed and slender fang; neither have they grooves or furrows on their outer sur- faces. They are slightly rounded in front, and hollowed towards the mouth (see fig. of Colt’s Teeth, plate 2): the cutting surface of each of these also rises into a sharp edge in front, which fits it for tearing up the grass; the outer edge slants over the inner, and affords another point of contact like- wise. But these early teeth being less durably framed than those which are to follow, soon shew the marks of even the early attrition they meet with. Before twelve months the marks in the front nippers are worn down, or filled up, as it is frequently called*. The middle nippers lose their mark soon after the first ; and by two years the cavity is nearly obliterated in all of them, and they appear not unlike the horse nippers at eight years old (see figures of 2, 3, and 4 years’ old Teeth, in plate 2). The molares, or grinders, although they do not yield such definite cha- racters of the age, may be usefully employed as auxiliaries. The foal is usually born with a certain number of grinders already protruded above and below. Two always appear together, but we believe the third is not so fre- quently synchronous with the two former, but usually is put out about a week or two later. At a period varying between eleven and fourteen months a fourth grinder is added, which is one of the permanents, and constitutes * The mark, however, can hardly be said to be filled up, although we have ourselves heretofore used the term. ‘The central enamel by attrition wears away, and lessens the cavity ; although it does not apparently diminish the volume of the tooth, for that extends itself upwards to meet the wear of its surface: but as the depth of the cavity is definite, while the growth of the body which contains it is indefinite ; so the hollow must be sub- jected to complete obliteration, although the tooth remains of equal length. It, therefore, wears out, but never fills up. (See Teeth, in the Oséeology. )