“In the case of necrosis of a tooth the supervening of a strong fever with delirium gives reason to fear a fatal exit. If, notwithstanding this, the patient be saved, there will be suppuration and exfoliation of the bone.”[75]
According to Hippocrates, “violent pains in the lower jaw give reason to fear a necrosis of the bone.”[76]
“Gingival hemorrhage in cases of persistent diarrhea is an unfavorable symptom.”[77] In fact, the easy and frequent occurring of hemorrhage of the gums may, in many cases, be an indication of profound alteration of the blood, a condition serious in itself, but still more so when associated with obstinate diarrhea.
In different parts of the books of Hippocrates, the influence of atmospheric conditions on the production of dental and gingival maladies is alluded to.
“Much inconvenience was caused to various persons at that period of time by swelling of the fauces, by inflammation of the tongue, by abscesses of the gums.”[78]
“After the snow, there were west winds and light rains; colds in the head, with or without fever, were very frequent; in one of the patients, pains were produced in the teeth on the right side, and in the eye and eyebrow.”[79]
In more than one of his books Hippocrates speaks of special dental or gingival symptoms, having their origin in different maladies, especially those of the spleen:
“In many who have enlargement of the spleen the gums become affected and the mouth has a bad smell.”[80]
In another place we read:
“Among those persons who have an enlargement of the spleen, the bilious ones have a bad color, are subject to ulcerations of a bad nature, their breath is fetid, and they themselves are thin.”[81] Finally, in the Book on Internal Diseases, Hippocrates describes different species of splenic maladies, to one of which he assigns the following symptoms: