Pennsylvania Association of Dental Surgeons. [Volume: 2, Issue: 4, November, 1860, pp. 203-220]

210

THE DENTAL COSMOS.

He remarked that there were palatine defects sometimes presenting
themselves, the result of accidents. A very common one was the fracture of the process containing the front teeth, usually the result of falls.
The treatment of such cases he had always found interesting, although
sometimes they were quite perplexing.
Dr. John McGrath said that about three months ago, two cases of defective palate came under the treatment of his father and himself, a short
description of which he would offer. Both the patients were beyond the
middle period of life. In one case the defect was of over twenty years'
standing, but the other was of more recent date. In each case, however, the
defect was the result of the same disease, (syphilis,) yet they differed widely
in their appearance, extent, and location. The nature of these defects was
such as to preclude all possibility of their being remedied by any operation, so that recourse was had to the only means left, viz., the construction of such obturators or artificial palates as would restore the impaired
functions of mastication, deglutition, and speech.
The first case, as seen in Fig. 1, was that of a female over fifty years
Fio. 1.
Fic. 2.
i t
of age. In this instance the fissure was confined to the hard palate, and
was undoubtedly the result of syphilis. Of the history of this case all
that could be obtained was such as was derived from answers to indirect
questions which were put to her. They learned that the defect was the
result of a disease which commenced as sore-throat, and continued its
ravages for over three years before it was arrested; this, together with
the appearance of the pharynx and uvula-they being covered with cica