Division of circumscribed buccal inflammations: palatitis; gnathitis
gingivitis; glossitis. Causes: injuries; acrid; venomous or caustic
agents; diseased teeth; foreign bodies in gland ducts; malformed jaws;
infections, etc. Symptoms: salivation; difficult prehension and
mastication; dropping half masticated morsels; distinctive indications
of different caustics; abrasion; abscess; slough; infective disease
lesions. Treatment: for _palatitis_, massage by hard corn ears,
scarification, laxatives; for _gnathitis_, care for teeth and ducts,
astringent washes, eliminate mercury; for _glossitis_, remove cause,
use antidote to venom, or to chemical irritant, astringent, antiseptic
lotions or electuaries, evacuate abscess, soft, cool diet, elevate the
head, suspend the tongue.
Localized inflammations in the buccal cavity are named according to the
portion of the lining membrane attacked;—_palatitis_ if seated in the
roof of the mouth; _gnathitis_ if restricted to the cheeks; _gingivitis_
if to the gums; and _glossitis_ if to the tongue.
=Palatitis. Lampas. Congestion of the hard palate behind the upper front
teeth.= This is usually seen in young horses during the period of
shedding the teeth and is caused by the irritation and vascularity
consequent on teething. The red and tender membrane projects beyond the
level of the wearing surfaces of the upper incisors, and may materially
interfere with the taking in of food. A common practice in such cases is
to feed unshelled Indian corn, the nibbling of which seems to improve
the circulation in the periodontal membrane and by sympathy in the
adjacent palate. Superficial incisions with the lancet or knife will
usually relieve, and may be followed by mild astringent lotions if
necessary. If apparently associated with costiveness or gastric or
intestinal irritation a dose of physic will be demanded. Nothing can
excuse the inhuman and useless practice of burning the parts with a hot
iron.
=Gnathitis. Inflammation of the Cheeks.= Usually resulting as a distinct
affection from irregular or overgrown teeth, or the entrance of
vegetable spikes into the gland ducts, these cause local swelling and
tenderness, slow imperfect mastication, dropping of food half chewed,
accumulation of food between the cheeks and teeth, thickening,
induration and sloughing of the mucous membrane with excessive fœtor.
_Treatment._ Consists in correcting the state of the teeth and ducts and
using one of the washes recommended for glossitis.
=Gingivitis. Inflammation of the gums.= This is either connected with
the eruption of the teeth in young animals and to be corrected by
lancing the swollen gums and giving attention to the diet and bowels; or
it is due to scissor-teeth or to the wear of the teeth down to the gums
in old horses; or it is dependent on diseased teeth, or mercurial
poisoning, under which subjects it will be more conveniently considered.
Barley awns or other irritants must be extracted.
=Glossitis, Inflammation of the Tongue.= _Causes._ Mostly the result of
violence with bits, ropes, etc., with the teeth, or with the hand in
giving medicine; of scalding food, of acrid plants in the food: of
irritant drugs (ammonia, turpentine, croton, lye, etc.), or of sharp,
pointed bodies (needles, pins, thorns, barley and other barbs, etc.)
which perforate the organ. In exceptional cases leech and snake bites
are met with especially in cattle, owing to the tongue being exposed
when taking in food. Local infections and those of the specific forms,
determine and maintain glossitis.
_Symptoms_: Free flow of saliva, difficulty in taking in food or
drinking, and red, swollen, tender state of the tongue, which in bad
cases hangs from between the lips. The mucous membrane may be white,
(from muriatic acid, alkalies, etc.), black, (from oil of vitriol, lunar
caustic, etc.), yellow, (from nitric acid, etc.), or of other colors
according to the nature of the irritant. It may be raised in blisters,
may present red, angry sores where the epithelium has dropped off; may
become firm and indurated from excessive exudation; may swell and
fluctuate at a given point from the formation of an abscess; or may
become gangrenous in part and drop off. Breathing is difficult and noisy
from pressure on the soft palate. There is usually little fever and
death is rare unless there is general septic infection.
_Treatment_ will depend on the cause of injury. In all cases seek for
foreign bodies imbedded in the organ and remove them. If snake bites are
observed use ammonia or potassium permanganate locally and generally, or
cholesterin as a local application. If the irritation has resulted from
mineral acids, wash out with calcined magnesia lime water, or
bicarbonate of soda or potash. If from alkalies (lye) use weak vinegar.
If from caustic salts employ white of egg, vegetable-gluten, boiled
linseed, slippery elm, or other compound of albumen or sheathing agent.
In ordinary cases use cold astringent lotions, such as vinegar and
water; vinegar and honey; borax, boric or carbolic acid, chlorate of
potash, alum or tannin and honey. Poultices applied around the throat
and beneath the lower jaw are often of great value. The bowels may be
relieved if necessary by injections, as it is usually difficult to give
anything by the mouth. If ulcers form touch them daily with a stick of
lunar caustic or with a fine brush dipped in a solution of ten grains of
that agent in an ounce of distilled water. For sloughs use a lotion of
permanganate of potash, one drachm to one pint of water, or one of
carbolic acid, one part to fifty of water. If an abscess forms give a
free exit to the pus with the lancet, and afterward support the system
by soft nourishing diet, and use disinfectants locally. As in all cases
of stomatitis, the food must be cold gruels or mashes, or finely sliced
roots will often be relished.
The mechanical expedient of supporting the tongue in a bag is essential
in all bad cases, as if allowed to hang pendulous from the mouth
inflammation and swelling are dangerously aggravated.