The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1840-12-19
INFLUENCE OF TOBACCO ON THE
TEETH.

Europeans are astonshed, in travelling over
this country, at the legion OF tobacco chewers ;
and well they may be, since il surprises ourselves
to look into the statistics Of this abominable
custom.
Thousands are habtua tobaeo-chewers, who
cannot assign one reasonable excuse for it. Even
small boys are often seen sadly addicted to this
vice. Others find an apology for il in supposng
that 1t keeps off something else in the form OF
distemper Yet this is all idle it is not so. When
the habit is fairly established all moral effort 10
abstain is quite hopeless. 1t is even worse than
opium eating, so far as uncontrolled dominion
over the mind is concerned.
But have no disposition to declare war
against great army let them grind their guilds
in quietness, trusting that after ages will correct
the monstrous evil in ivization.-Aside from
host OF miseries consequent upon chewing to-
bacco, am concerned only in relating the con-
sequences that follow to the teeth, which are bad
enough TO discourage veteran consumer.
Tobacco when made in the very best manner,
contains considerable grit or sand, which grinds
down the face of the teeth in process of time,
prodlgiously. few chewers out Of hun
dred wear their teeth evenly. Such is not al
ways the state of things. Ii tooth has been
extracted, It produces an irregularliy in the late
raj grinding movement of the jaw, that ultimate
ly makes an unevenness somewhere on the line.
Not uncommonly half of the lower part of the
teeth, on the side particularly where the tobacco
is chewed, are actually worn off down to the
gum. On the other side, the actual pressure ha-
wing been taken off they too long; so it is in
respect to the molars. Let this pass, however.
The essential oil of the tobacco stains the
teeth deep, filthy yellow-too permanent for
removal by the ordinary process ;they cannot be
bleached out in inveterate chewers.-This same
oil, too, undermixes the enamel, the protecting
shields of the teeth, in some individuals, hence
they crumble and are lost without redemption.
| Both of these agents are positively destructive
| TO the teeth, habitually used. Lastly il is noto-
rous in New Engladd that tobacco .chewers, as
a distinct body of men, have proverbially bad
teeth.
| Smoking is vice, too-and a national one
| of such magnitude that railroad corporations
throughout all their routes in the United States,
have special command in large letters, conspic
uously placed at depots and inside the cars No
smoking dHoped here Less injury is inflicted
on the teeth by smoking than by chewing, of the
two, though the last is bad enough. An nccs-
SAINT current Of hot smoke, saturated with that
same essential oil, plays destruction also but
the process is much slower, hence no one stops
to reflect upon it.
quantity of saliva is poured out by the sail
vary glands in the act of smoking, which collects
copiously around the whole circuit of the under
teeth, that consequently protects them they are
the last to suffer, whilst the upper front incsors
in some extreme cases, are lamentably injured
and defaced.
Such are some of the effects to be apprehended
by tobacco-chewers. Therefore, it being easier
to warn one of approaching danger, than to ex-
tricate him when surrounded by i'll say EN-
phatcally, never allow your son to chew tobacco
under any pretext whatever. Ladies require no
admoniton IN this respectable. Il. Hitchcock,