Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1850-12-05
The Teeth.

4
FRIEND ScHocH AS whatever pertains to the
general good receives from you a sanction and sup
port purpose to make an effort through your col
umns with your consent, call the attention OF your
readers to the consideration of subject which,
more than any other of equal moment remains
shrouded in darkness and ignorance. know and
appreciate it as privilege and duty, to be instru-
mental in guarding my fellows against some of the
evils to which they subject.
There is no part of personal comfort, appearance
and cleanliness, so shamefully neglected as the
teeth. II is not SO surprising, however, from the
fact that but very little has ever been said writ
ten, for general circulation, concerning this de-
pertinent. The efforts of the profession have prin-
cipaly been aimed in another direction, and con-
fined to its own members. Why this has been the
case, is probably because Dental Science has not
till Of late been brought to any very high state of
perfection: and also because it might be consid-
cred presuming too great ignorance to direct the
attention of an individual TO matter SO much un-
der his own CONTROL and so papably for his own in
terest to heed. Visible proof is written upon the
countenances of ninety nine individuals in every
hundred of serious and sad demand for an in
crease and scattering Of information regarding this
important part Of the animal economy. And it is
from the members of the profession that we
would naturally look for the emanation of what
few scattering rays of light may have been collect
ed for the benefit of science and society.
Trusting they may not prove altogether useless
and uninteresting the reader, the writer propo-
ses giving few brief chapters on the teeth. In
L.. L., L.. .,1
comprehensive as possible, and not weary the rea-
der with stultiloquence.
Many-whether supersttious not, the writer
will not pretend to say-count those who cherish
the beauty and desire the perfection of the teeth,
as being actuated by motives Of vanity and pride.
The supposition that vanity has anything to do
with it, is too glaringly erroneous to merit COM
ment. Ifit is pride, it is holy pride; pride
taught US by Deity planted in our natures by the
Creator stamped upon the countenance of Ma
ture; and fostered by the votarys Of purity, excel
lence and virtue. The countenance is the thea
tre on which the soul exhibits ITSELF" the mouth
is the most expressive feature Of the face but
when minus the dental organs, it loses its proper
expression; in fact, it has no definite expression
at all. Its beautiful symetry is wholly destroyed,
and its Offices are not performed.
"If the sculptor, the painter, or the poet," says
Mr. Peasants, would invest the production Of
his genious with those forms of horror at which
humanity shuddeFs and recoils, he perfectly COM
prehends the art of giving to his allegorical per-
sonages an array of teeth, black with tartar, mutt
lated with gangrene, broken by violence, or wrest-
ed by distortion. Should Envy present herself
in the group, her parted lips would disclose but
single fang. Should Malice approach to perse-
cute his victim, his teeth would be turned away
as by the violence of his passion. Thus the
wrinkled witch, the smoky gypsy, the fortune tel
ling hag, and the freebooter ofthe seas, would lose
the proper expression of their distinctive charac-
ters If supplied with perfect. regular and beaut-
full sets of teeth. On the other hand, the skillful
artist, who would exhibit the amiable and worthy
passions in all their loveness and attraction, bes-
tows untring labor in the exhibition of perfect
arches Of teeth, white monumental alabaster,
and regular the crystal columns in the palace
of Odin, inhabited by the virgins of the Vallallah
If he exhibits Beauty in her smiles, colonade of
pearls contribute to the enchantment. If he shows
US Love, with music on her lips, the emblematic
purity Of her teeth must lend its tributary charms
Thus the ideal Venus of the polished Greeks, as
we'll the living Beauty in the hamlet Of Circas-
sa would cease to please on the discovery of SEN
sible defect in these important. organs" o.A.J.