Mikrokosmographia a description of the body of man. Together vvith the controuersies thereto belonging. Collected and translated out of all the best authors of anatomy, especially out of Gasper Bauhinus and Andreas Laurentius. By Helkiah Crooke Doctor of Physicke, physitian to His Maiestie, and his Highnesse professor in anatomy and chyrurgerie. Published by the Kings Maiesties especiall direction and warrant according to the first integrity, as it was originally written by the author.

CHAP. XV. Of the Grinding Teeth.

THE great Teeth the Grecians call 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Molares, because by them * 1.1 he meate is broken as corne is broken vppon a Mill. They are seated in the inner part of the mouth and hidden by the cheekes: the reason of this position is, least the meat already shred or broken and by the tongue row∣led vnto these Teeth to be further ground should fall out of the mouth. In * 1.2 their vse therefore and likewise in their forme they are like vnto a Corne-quern, vnequal, rough, hard, broad and great: Rough and vnequall, for so they are more fit for commi∣nution, and that is the reason why Millers when their stones are growne smooth do pick them anew. But these Teeth in olde men by long attrition do becom equall and smooth and by reason of their perpetuall vse, are more sooner broken and eaten out then the rest.

VVherefore that part of these grinders which standeth without the gum is foursquare, and that square more perfect in the 3 hinder teeth: and though their tops are very large insomuch as Ruffus in the eight chapter of his first Book calleth them 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Tables, yet they are not smooth, but euery one, saith Eustachius, hath a pit one or two in the midst: whence it commeth to passe that their extreame or outward partes are somewhat high. Those two that are next the Dog-teeth are heightned on the inside and on the out-side, yet the first especially in the lower iaw doth sometime want his inwarde eminence: the third protuberateth or swelleth vp in foure corners: the fourth and the fifte for the most part haue two eminences on the outside, on the inside but one. These cauities and pro∣tuberations meeting iust one with another do hold the meate faster that it fals not so ea∣sily from betwixt them.

They are the hardest, saith Vesalius, of all the bones, that they might not so easily weare away; broad also and plaine the better to leuigate the meate that is already shorne and broken by the other teeth; for it was not fit that aman should swallow his meat be∣fore it were perfectly ground: beside being so ground, the heat & moisture of the mouth assisting, there is made in the mouth a rude inchoation or beginning of concoction.

They are called also 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, not because their insertion is by way of mortize, for that is common vnto all the Teeth, but 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that is from the rough superficies of a Mill-stone, whose figure and vse the vpper partes of these grinding Teeth doe elegantly imitate. In Magnitude they differ, for the middlemost are the greatest, & those on each side lesser. The third is the greatest of all in Men, in Apes the fourth and the fift; for it * 1.3 was not fit that the internall capacity of the mouth which groweth narrow as the anteri∣or part doth, should haue teeth so great as the middle where it is broadest of all. Some∣times to the fourth or the fift (but in the vpper iaw rather then the lower) there is adioy∣ned as it were a halfe tooth, for Nature contending to make more grinders, is hindred by the narrownesse of the place, and therefore is constrained to ioyne them together.

Their Number is commonly in the vpper and lower Iawes on each side fiue, that is in all twenty. The reason why there are more grinders then shearers is, because Nature * 1.4 doth vse according to the largenesse or narrownesse of the fissure of the mouth to allow creatures more or fewer of this kinde. Man whose mouth is verie narrow, & whose teeth were especially giuen him to chew his meate, hath therefore more grinderss then shearers or dogteeth: on the contrary in rauenous creatures there are more shearers then grinders, because they vse them as weapons. Hence it is, that in men there is little difference in the number of their Shearing or Dog-teeth, but of Grinders there is great variety: some∣times fiue, sometimes foure, sometimes six. Eustachiu did neuer obserue so few as three, sauing once in a Cardinall. It may be his Iawes were short. And this variety Gal. makes mention of, although there be no such variety in Apes; whence saith Eustachius (and the obseruation is very good) it may well be concluded, that Galen did vse to cut vp not apes onely but men.

The two latter grinders both in site and generation, are called by Hippocrates in his * 1.5 Booke de Carnibus 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the Teeth of wisedome, because when they growe vp a man beginneth to be wise: for they arise about the fourth Septenary, that is, at 28. yeare old, at what time men are or should be temperat and moderate. In the breeding of these teeth there is sometime great torment and paine, and therefore Auicen calleth them the teeth of Sense. They spring vppe sometime in olde age, and therefore Aristotle calleth them 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, because they perfect the age or growth: the Latins call them Gemnuos, to which Teeth this is peculiar, that they do not begin to breake out till all the rest haue beene a good while perfect. Sometime also they onely perforate the gummes but rise little a∣boue them; sometimes they lurke al together in the iaw, and are couered with the gums, sometime they are not created at all.

The roots of these Teeth are perpetually of one forme in Apes, as Eustachius ele∣gantly * 1.6 declareth, for in them the grinders of the vpper iaw haue three roots: of the low∣er iaw two, excepting sometimes the fift; the fourth as it is the greatest, so are the roots thereof greatest. In Men their roots are not alwayes of one forme, yet mostwhat they are many and alike: sometime in the fift of the lower iaw, (in the second also Eustachius obserued the same) which because of his magnitude a man woulde thinke should haue many roots, there is but one, thicke and persorated with one broad hole. Other roots of the Teeth haue an equall or vnequall supersicies, and within two or three holes skilfullie thrilled and disseuered by thin scales, much like a Hony-combe. In the fift grinder there are three, in most of the rest two. Oftentimes the roots grow together, sometime they are separated, sometime a man cannot perceiue so much as the line that parteth them.

The Figure also of these Rootes is diuers, for some are round, others streight and ac∣cute, * 1.7 others obtuse, plaine and crooked. They differ also in magnitude, the roots of one tooth being thicke sometimes, sometimes narrow, of another short, of another long, of some broad and thin, yet for the most part the roots of the vpper teeth are longer and of the lower teeth shorter.

They varry also in situation, some touch one another, some growe neare but touch not, some straddle one from another like the feete of a stoole. Againe, some stande off one from another, but yet are so incurued that their extremtties doe touch, others run∣ning * 1.8 foure wayes are in their ends most of all disioyned, and these in drawing of Teeth are sometimes broken and put the man to cruell torment.

If there be three roots, especially in the vpper iaw, one runneth inward and two out∣ward. To conclude, commonly the two vpper grinders which are next to the Dogteeth are fastned into their sockets with two roots, the other three with three. Sometimes, the

fift hath foure which is rare. Againe, the two lower Grinders which are next to the Dog teeth haue but one roote, the three others two. Those Teeth which we call Genu∣ini or Teeth of wisedome, haue very short rootes, partly because that portion of the iaw wil not admit a deepe insertion, partly because in the leuigation or chewing of meate they are not in so much vse as the rest. Wherefore the rootes of the grinding Teeth of the lower iaw are fewer and shorter then those of the vpper, because the substance of the low∣er iaw is harder and more solid, and therefore better able strongly to containe the Teeth, and to beare their waight; but in the vpper iaw which is more rare and soft and wherein the Teeth hang, and therefore are more subiect to fall out with their owne weight, their rootes are longer the better to fasten them, for they needed more ties as it were to binde them and to containe them within the iaw.

Hence it is that where the rootes are shorter the Teeth are drawne with lesse dan∣ger, but with more labour where they are many, especially if the rootes grow vnto the sockets.

The rootes of all the Teeth are perforated euen into their internall cauities, yet * 1.9 this perforation in perfect and growne Teeth is very small, and that in the sharpe pointe or top of the roote through which a veyne, an artery and a nerue are admitted; of which Vessels we will speake in the next place but briefly because we haue touched vppon them before.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The Grinders
• * 1.2

  The Forme.
• * 1.3

  Magnitude.
• * 1.4

  Number.
• * 1.5

  The teeth of Wisedome.
• * 1.6

  Their roots its Apes.
• * 1.7

  Their Figure.
• * 1.8

  Situation.
• * 1.9

  Their perfo∣rations.