Latin Texts & Translations

The other animals are born with ^[Note] teeth, whereas man has them only at the seventh ^[Note] month after his birth. While other ^[Note] animals keep their teeth to the time of their death, man, the lion, the beasts of burden, the dog, and the ruminating animals, all change them; the lion and the dog, however, change none ^[Note] but the canine teeth. The canine tooth of the wolf, on the right side, is held in high esteem as an amulet. ^[Note] There is no animal that changes the maxillary teeth, which stand beyond the canine teeth. With man, the last teeth, which are known as the " genuini," or cheek teeth, ^[Note] come about the twentieth year, and with many men, and females as well, so late even as the eightieth; but this only in the case of those who have not had them in their youth. It is a well-known fact, that the teeth are sometimes shed in old age, and replaced by others. Mucianus has stated that he, himself, saw one Zocles, a native of Samothrace, who had a new set of teeth when he was past his one hundred and fourth year. In addition to these facts, in man males have more teeth than females, ^[Note] which is the case also in sheep, goats, and swine.

Timarchus, the son of Nicocles the Paphian, had a double ^[Note] row of teeth in his jaws: the same person had a brother also who never changed his front teeth, and, consequently, wore them to the very stumps. There is an instance, also, of a man having a tooth growing in the palate. ^[Note] The canine teeth, ^[Note] when lost by any accident, are never known to come again. While in all other animals the teeth grow of a tawny colour with old age, with the horse, and him only, they become whiter the older he grows.