, 1867-03-29
NUMBER Is.


Preparations for cleansing aud parifyipg m.
mouth should be free from all acidsapa6d eer.
tain, as one Of the principal ingredients, an nj.
kali such enters into sapona eeous subs,s ns..
10 neutralize the acid, and destroy the animal
and vegetable parasites that ire keeret.d nv N.
Hulds OF the mouth. IL has been found nv mi
eroseoplcal examination, that the secretions Of
almost every persons mouth cootAiu more or
less OF vegetable and animal life that will with
stAnd the application Of acids and astringent,
auu WiiI only suecu nb to aIkalies, which not
only appear fatal, but a. preventive to th.ir
formation. The mouths Of persons who nav.
neen IN the habit of using soap freely as dent
ltiee are completely free from these produetiono
Every preparation, then, should contain mi.
snbstanee
But it must be admitted that many soap, con.
tain an injurious excess Of alknH, which should
be gu 'rdtd against. Besides, the doubtful cleaa.
IIness and even healthfulness of the fatty in,
gredients OF the majority of the soa ps that ar,
mtde, is subject OF such unpleasant coutem-
phtion as to prevent soap from being at all
times iayori'e deptifrice as it is a well known
inct That PHtrid tei and the fat OF animals which
nave died ufconiagIous diseases are frequently
used by the soap.mnkers of this country, while
those of foreign countries often use the fat of
such human GeinJs us become the refuse ofsub>
Jects OF the di-secting rooms, hospitals, aims
houses, etc. Soaps made of such materials NAV
be well enough for outward cleanliness, but for
the use of the teeth and mouth must be prouot.
I'VE OF disease, and even the very thought is dis.
gushing in the extreme, ard the most drlicately
periumed and neatly mo lelei soap may be partly
composed OF such materials. But n soap alone
Is not sufficient properly to cleanse the mouth
and keep it in n healthy condition Some sub
Il nee should be combined with it that hAllpro.
duce gentle friction, (,utfic aut to create a
healthy circu'ation OF the blood il the Ruus
and remove from the surface Of the enamel any
exirnneous accumulation that would otherwise
disfgure it), such. as prepared chal and liul.
orris root to favor, which m tkes a simple, and
at the same time effective dentifrce, all. sufficient
to answer the purpose for which tooth,powder
should Le used.
BY no means use powdered charcoal or pumice
stone MS a dentlrice. These substances are the
same that are used to polish ID. suffice of iron
and steel they are iusoluble, and so acrid in
their nature that, matter how fine you may
reduce them, their little grains will not only in>
sInu1te themselves between the neck of the tooth
and the gum, causing an irritation of the parts
which, in the end, may destroy the investing
Of the TOOTH but scratch tue surface,
Of the enamel. Not long since we had to remove
the four upper iucisors Of a young lady who had
been IN the habit OF using charcoal as a denti-
ircc, because their surfaces were scanned over
with minute black lines that could not be erased,
and the teeth lOosened, and the gums abraded
and irriiated from its constant use. II would
be well for every one, before using tooth
powder to see lift will scratch glass m moistened
= 'l r'.hh-l ----- - ----f-vv. AZ rOi pro-
duce the same effect upon the glossy, gass.like
surface with winch God has covered the teeth.
The use of iooth'powder is to keep the teeth
clean, and not to change their natural color II
he teeth are of a dark yellow hue they never
IAN be made white, except at the expense of tue
material of which they are composed any
powder, then, which whitens such teeth is only
cting chemically, and therefore injuriously,
lpon their structure