Many  object  to  having  human  teeth  placed  in  the  mouth,  under
the  belief  that  infectious  diseases  may  be  communicated  by  them.  But
the  purifying  process,  to  which  they  are  previously  submitted,  greatly
diminishes  this  danger.  When  the  practice  of  transplanting  teeth
was  in  vogue,  occurrences  of  this  sort  were  not  unfrequent;  but  since
that  has  been  discontinued,  these  have  seldom  if  ever  happened.  Still,
the  prejudice  against  human  teeth  is  so  strong  that  it  is  impossible,  in
most  cases,  to  overcome  them.  This  feeling,  the  difficulty  of  procuring
them,  the  high  price  they  command,  and  their  want  of  durability,
have  gradually  led  to  their  entire  disuse,  which  is  scarcely  to  be  re-
gretted, now  that  art  can  produce  in  porcelain  such  accurate  imitations
of  nature.  The  only  case  in  which  we  might  feel  called  upon  to  insert
natural  teeth  is  where  any  of  the  twelve  front  teeth  become  loosened
by  periosteal  disease,  and  drop  from  their  sockets  while  yet  perfectly
free  from  caries.  These  teeth  may  often  be  adjusted  to  a  plate  so  as  to
present  an  exceedingly  natural  appearance.
TEETH   OF   CATTLE.
