An inquiry into the decay of teeth.

John Hunter's observations on dental caries are described and various early speculative theories of its nature and causation are mentioned. With the demonstration in the late 19th century of the chemicoparasitic nature of the late 19th century of the chemicoparasitic nature of the disease attention focused on dietary methods of prevention. An account is given of research carried out at the Royal College of Surgeons in the past 25 years, with particular reference to efforts to develop a means of immunisation against Streptococcus mutans.