Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1867-08-24
THE TEETH.

1t has long been u matter Of common
remark, in fact it has been universally
conceded, that "the Americans have
the worst teeth of any nation on the
globe" So repeats the celebrated den
fist, DR.. ]. Allen, in a paper on "Densal
Physiology" recently read before the
Now York Association for the Advance
msnt of Science and Art. Extracts from
this paper are published in the Herald
Of Health for January of this year, and
we regret that we have not space for a
full copy. DR.. Allen processes to give
the reason for this great comparative
decay of the teeth of our people, o rea-
son which our own observation and ex-
p~erience has confirmed. 1t is Of the
first importance to parents that they
give heed to the information and advice
which DR.. Allen presents, for the bsne-
fit, at least, of their children. The frail
condition of the human teeth in this
country and in portions of Europe where
the habits and customs Of the people are
similar to our own, are, it 10 asserted,
traceable directly to the fact that we do
not take into tho system with our food
a sufficient quantity Of the mineral con-
s,ituents of which the teeth are formed
to sustain them in a sound and healthy
state. DR.. Allen says that since he first
announced his discovery Of this cause
for the great destruction Of teeth in
America, hundreds Of the most eminent
Psychologists have informed him, per-
soually and by letter, that his view Of
the case was correct. After some pre-
liminary ~analogical reasoning, the Doc
tor proceeds to show that the use OF
uu6ohsd -four, or Graham -four, is essen
,ial to the preservation Of the teeth:
eff man fails to use the means pro-
vided for sustaining his organic struc.
ture in all its parts, he must suffer the
penalty; and yet, this is just what has
been done to a great extent in this
country, with one of the most important
articles Of food provided for maa. l
allude to the grain as it comes from
Natures laboratory, duly proportioned
with the proper constituents for muscles,
fat, bones, teeth, etc. But instead Of
using all the substances contained in
the grain, we change the proportions by
boiling or sitting out a very large pro-
ton of the mineral elements, and also
some of the gluten, aud cast it away as
worthless. In doing this we commit an
irretrievable error, as shown BY the sad
results upon the teeth; for although
there are traces Of the mineral constitu-
ents in the various articles Of food we
eat, yet the grain Of which bread is
formed has a much larger proportion OF
this element than the other articles oil
food now used in this country. This is
found deposited for our use in the hull
or outer portion of the kernels Of the
grain, and we should retain this portion
Of the cereals, as n of the most i'm.
portant constituents in the bread or staff
Of life. But we are told by some that
the system can elaborate whatever it
requires from other constituents. Upon
this point, let US refer back to funda-
mental principles. They teach us that
the body does not possess the power OF
converting one substance into another.
1t can compound and appropriate sub
stances to the various parts of the sys-
TEN, but it cannot transmute hydrogen
into nitrogen, carbon into phosphorus,
or fat into the lime-salts. Tthe mineral
element ,chieh forms and sustains the hard
portions of the teeth is Vanting in the food,
these organs piH suffer just in proportion
TO the deficiency.
Upon this point DR.. Paul says: We
have been too much in the habit Of con-
sidering that nature furnished her own
materials, and man had nothing TO do
With her operations. The potter cannot
fashion the bowl without the clay,
neither can bone be formed without
earthly matter. The system must be
supplied with the various constituents
required for the body some for fat,
some for flesh, skin and various other
tissues, and some for bones and teeth,
which are held in solution and carried
away by vessels adapted for that pur.
pose and deposited atom by atom, until
they are so compacted together as to
become solid bone, or hard, stony for.
nations for the teeth" n We are to
expect the stalwart frame Of man, OF
the enduring, 6rmly-kuit, compact and
healthy physical constitution Of woman,
the organic and inorganic or earthly
compounds Of which that frame is CON-
posed must not be denied. Nature mus,
be supplied or nature will fail.
Again, Prof. johnson says, in his off.
cial report upon this subject, that 'The
whole grain Is one half moro nutritious
than ine four" This report also shows
the very large proportion Of bone mate
rial which is contained in the bran.
When the food is taken into the sys'
tenn and converted into blood, il is con.
veyed to all parts Of the body, imparting
to each cellular and ibrous tissue o due
proportion of fresh material, which takes
the place Of other spent particles tha,
are being conveyed away through the
medium Of the respiratory organs, the
skin, the urine, and the lower intestines,
This change Of particles goes on con.
stantly and rapidly; there is an iucessani
waste and renewal Of all parts Of the
body; andi 10 order to maintain q healthy
organism, the supply Of materials &c
these different parts must be equal to
the expenditure. During the younger
or growing period Of life, the reception
of matter into the system is greater
than its loss, and the body steadily 10.
creases in weight. After the whole
physical structure is fully developed 10
all Its parts, the teeth included, then an
equilibrium is maintained between the
amount of matter received and expend'
ed, when the waste becomes greater
than the supply.
II there be an abundant supply o.
earthly mattert to fully meet the demands,
then instead Of soft, chalky teeth as We
have now, they will be dense and firm
in their texture, and capable Of resisting
decay, SO long as a due proportion Of
mineral supplies are kept up.
When the teeth have become we'll dc.
veloped and densely formed, they will,
under ordinary circumstances, maintain