New-York daily tribune., 1858-07-09

Of ecid sezng and uDiuny Win I'arIcie OF csio0-
us.ei slE sill s5d eIcltdLg n gaseous IJrm ~ ca;
b nc .cd Which il s EC.eT.?t 20 escape, forms sn
: air cell" the losf ru!nphcshon OF these 81
CelIs = formed gives liEhtnes 20 tae lump. Wnen
TIE bIesd "a baked If the ssi>rstus AID cream OF tsr
ar were used in the right pIop 9rtons there does rot
remsip particle OF either such. The csrbon.c scd
OF the saleratus mas been expelled aId the excess Of
scid IN the cream Of tartar hss united ".u the Poassa
Of the saerstus and formed t1e neutral compound Of
ta7trste Of d tssss wsSh IL Faoly inert ss regads
J TIE tsetb, beth directly sn5 icdirectly
/ Will Mr. Baker in view OF the abJve fscts, phase
inform Us what bEs become Of bis experiment., or
rather chow u ther ui y reference 70 the ARTICLES
! tested when used 10 cooki-g! lie clearly having
tested the wrOpg compound, whatever the result nsy
hsve been il has bearing whatever upon tie object
aimed a.. The destructive effect Of cream OF tartar
when directly applied TO the teeth, is oy 10 means
oyerrated by Mr. B. There Is scarcely any acid which
acts promptly IN dec imposing and dssolvng the
ensue! of tooth but his experiments with ss.eratus
could not have been carefully made Certainly his
/ record and ny ofn, MADE Of experiments conducted
with the utmOst care do not correspond. have yet
TO be Convinced that the sseraus cecomposes or dis
solves tue tnGnel of tooth Tooth bone, which con-
stiiutes the greatest bulk of tooth, consists 10y
weight Of nearly eq1s perts OF esthy mst,eF-paos-
phs,e and carbon ate Of lime-snd animal matter. AL
sksles have affinity for the animal matter, but not
! fer the earthy. Tie enlre as above stated, Con-
tars hardly trace of animal mater, and is scarcely
affected by tbe most concentrated alkah-even csustic
potash he's little 10 effect upon Il. 10 the Sumner
Cf 1873 conducted series Of experlments assisted
} by DIR. Wm. Dalrymple now OF Bond street, New
Yok) With the view ~ ascertain the precise elect Of
every ubtsr liable to be brought contact with the
teeth aid which have several times repeated srd
varied IN different ways that the result might not be
deceptive and which, instead Of being contna1 TO 0
articles included be.reen one and two hundred differ
ent substances. Ld no such record es that m sde by
Mr.. Baker in regard 10 sslerAtus Ihese eXpsnmen's
were continued four months each tooth ex snined
every forty. eight hours and the effect upon 1t care
fully recordeo In order 10 be more positive, II posi-
ble in regard 10 tHe neutral ss arrste OF pJta9sa
1 1 10 al. 4ov4 80
potssss or cream Of ur'ar, which latter has large
excese of free tartaric acid have, since the appear
| aLee Of Mr. BIS article in The TRIBUNE most thor
oughy tested its effects upon the human teeth, ard
the result 10, only spends with the original record
a. owe alluded to- but fully ustiies the renewal OF the
assertion that this neutral salt has no ehec. whstever
upon the teeth. Now, for the benefit Of those who
may have the curiosity TO examine ths subject Will
give brief summary OF tho result OF the orignsl ex-
Per mems as recorded in lS43, which s as follows
First: Acids, both vegetable and mineral act read
ily upon the bone ana enamel OF the teeth.
Second. Akalies do not act upon the enamel Of the
teeth though the strongest Of these, csustc potash,
readily destroys the bone OF the tooth by uniting with
its animal matter.
Third Neutral salts have no effect oon the teeth,
unless the acid Of the salt has stronger affinity for
the lime Of the tooth than for its own bsse but when
ths s the case, the acid leaves its former base ana
untes with the earthy matter OF the TOOTH resulting IN
its decomposition and destruction. We have most
extraordinary example illustrating this principle in the
effect of alum upon the teeth The effect Of this sub
ssrce which is sulphate of alumina and potsssa,
ard yh ch contains 10 free acid is most destructive,
wholly destroying the enamel in few days. This re-
su can only be accounted for the suppOstion that
the alum is decOmpOsed-ts suphurc acid uniting
with The lime Of the tooth.
Fourth. Super salts or those which contain free
acid have the ssme effect upon the tseLh 80 their
acids would have, uncombined with q base Cream
(super tartrate of potassa for example, de-
stroys the enamel of tootn very adiy, and prob
ably with equal prompness If the pure tartarc acid
| were employ ed, uncombned with a base. Tne fire.
quent of this acd salt In medicine, ana 70 form
calculated drinks, renders knowledge OF US reai
character in reference TO the truih OF gres' import
ance. r
feet upon the teeth unless by fermentation acid is
formed in which case the acstc) acid would OF course
produce the same mischief as when derived from tny
other source.
confined purefactiop, act very srdy, If at all, upon
either the bone enamel. On examining the teetn
subie cted to such influence the twentieth day OF the
experiment visible phenomena were presented ca
cept slight deposit upon the surface, OF greenish,
Shiny matter, somewhat resembling the green tartar
often found upon the teeth in the mouth
TO give more definite idea Of the deleterous agents
to which tho teeth are exposed aud the consequent
liability TO be- affected by item, will notice the ei-
feet produced by few Of the individual substances
which or less liable to be brought IN contact
Acetic and ci.iic scds so corroded the enamel in
forty eight hours that much OF II easily removed
with the fnger.ns. Acetic acid. or common vlaegsr,
is not only in common use as condlinent, put Is
formed in the mouth whenever substances liable to fer
mentation are suffered to remain about the teeth Tor
any con id, rsble length Of time.
Ciric acid or lemon Juice, though less frequently
brought in contact with the teeth acts upon them stii
more readily.
Mslc acid or the acid Of apples in its concentrated
state, also acts promptly upon The teeth.
MuIiatic suphuric and nitric acids, though largely
diluted decompose the teeth Ihese are IN COM
mon use as tODlcs.
SuIpburc al nitric ethers have a similar delete
rous fleet as also spirits CT ner These are CON-
nor Giffusabe stimuli ants in Sickness
Rssns go corroded the enamel in twenty-four hours
that its surface presented the appearance and was oil
the copfietepcy of chalk This remarkably desiruc-
tive effect of reisns upon the teeth Will be readily I'M
derstood by thOse who are familiar with the chemical
and commercial history OF cream OF tartar Ins sub
stance exists ready formed in the juice oftho grape
ard is deposited alcohol lin which 1t is inso.ubie
is formed during the process of fernentaion 90 tnst
in the casks used for this parpofe cake OF crude tar
tar is deposited This purified is the cream OF tartar
of commerce. When the grapes are prepared as ras-
irs this substance is of course retained, aud is what
gives tha peculiar acid flavor TO tis fruit in the form
Of rasns and at the same tue renders rasns 50 de-
Ell uctive 10 the teeth.
sugar ar such Dies not 10 the les>t affect the teeth
bGt SIS It promotes the fermentation Of other vegeabe
substances which may be about and especially be-
tween teeth the acec acid which would thus be
formed would prove an a,tivs source OF decsy.
Teeth placed in eslomel which was mads .. tue
consistency Of cream by mixing i With wa,er) came
out at the eLd of four months bright and sound 81
when they were placed in il; proving most conelu-
sively that the direct eec. OF this substance when
juriousy sfsetng the tech, confined wholly and
exclus yey to the parts nveetlng these organs, and
hence does not act except indirectly 10 the destrue Ion
of the teeth.
! From the above facts ard consider ,tions think
every int resder will conclude thst the theory
sought to be established b. Mr. Baker viz that sal
erstus ard cream Of tartar, used cooking. are
the chief agents producing the prove bal Io.-enne:s