The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1875-05-22
Is Candy Injurious to the Teeth.

Is Candy Injurious TO the Teeth.
From a paper by Dr. John T. Copman,
read before the New York Chronological
Society:
Most certainly it is. For outward proof
! of it | will refer you to any candy making
village in our country as the village of
! Neponset, Mass, where the shocking con-
dition of the teeth, of the youth brought
up in proximity to large candy manufac-
tories, shows plainly the cause. But this
is perhaps negative proof, and we should
seek for proof positive, because other
! causes than those of the use of candy may
be the reason, in this instance, of the dis
ease.
But by far the most injurious consequence
in the use of candy is in its indirect action
! through the system, first by its constitu-
ents, second by its disturbing action.
BY long research | have discovered that
the effect of the use of cane sugar, in small
or in large quantity, is to produce more
or less constipated state of the alimentary
canal, more particularly the refined sugar
| of the present day.
If, then. the balance of intestinal action
is normally correct, the presence of sugar
always disturbs it.
! There is point that may be stated here,
and that is the action of sugar on an ex-
posed nerve. We eat bread, meat, vegeta-
bles, and our "exposed nerve " makes no
| complaint; but the moment little sugar
| is dissolved in the tooth, the tissue sets up
! a cry. What does it mean? Does it mean
! that it dislikes it-that it is discordant to
the system? Does it mean that it is in
furious to the tleshy OF to the bony sub
stances, or both? have as yet not solved
( - \,
analogy we must conclude that cane sugar
is injurious, and yet there may be other
reasons and other causes for the pain pro-
duced in the tooth.
Besides the sugar contained in the can
dies of the present day and the coloring
matters mostly made of tincture of cochi-
neal, which is harmless) are occasionally
other material, such as pigments of green
and yellow, which are poisonous.
I We have large number of essential oils,
or indictments. every one of which has a
peculiar medical effect on the system, ton
ing it up or down, binding up its varieties
or loosening them, and to these medical
/ effects much of the injury of the confec-
/ tionery of the present time is due.
y small catalogue of these essential oils
and tlavors may be interesting:
| Group No. Peppermint, checkerber-
| ry, sassafras, lemon, Glove, anise, cassia or
cinnamon, vanilla, rose, caraway, coran-
der, cayenne.
Group No. 2.-Jargonelle pear, straw
berry, pineapple, banana, peach, almond.
/ Group No. 3.-Boneset, licorice, hore-
hound, ginger, cardamom, chocolate but
ter, cOcoanut, cordial, brandy, gum arabic,
! acids.
In purchasing pound of mixed candies,
| you may perchanca get all OF these tlavors
/ in one lot.
Now do not pretend to say that one is
likely to be poisoned by such a compound,
but | do say that. when a mother gives a
| three year old child an ounce Of peppermint
drops to eat, she should know the effect of
them when eaten-that she ought to know
she is giving the child medicament as
we'll as an ounce of sugar; she ought to
think and be taught that the effect of the
oil of peppermint is definite, and that an
ounce of peppermint drops will, if they are
I stroug-and of course they are supposed to
be good only as they are strong-contract
the walls Of the stomach and the small in
teStines, producing in a young child some
times spasm and inflammation, shown by
4 thirst for water, and a general disturb
ance of healthy action.
| Such is, | believe, the general action of
the essential oils of confectionery in group
| No. l. The Oil of cassa or cinnamon is
very irritating. The oil of cloves is con-
Sidered by many as destructive or poison
Gus. AS rule, the essential oils retard
digestive action in the same manner that
they preserve from decay meats and fruits,
by retarding fermentation, or making COM
pounds with digestible Or decaying sub
stances.
Tho pear and similar tlavors in group
Al, IL. 4
tlavors, and are decidedly unhealthy. The
composition of them l have found to be as
follows:
The jargonele pear flavor is made of the
acetate of amylc ether, which is prepared
by distilling a mixture of fusil oil, acetate
of potash, and concentrated sulphurc acid.
The pineapple is made from butyric ether
dissolved in another portion of alcohol.
Butyric acid is made from decaying cheese,
grape sugar and chalk, fermented together.
Various mixtures of the others, with ad-
dition of various agents, such as acetic
| acid, camphor, orriS, vanilla, the volatile
oils, ETC., result in limitations of straw ber-
ry, raspberry, apricot, cuirant, etc.
The tonka bean is used very much in
place of the vanilla pod, to initiate the
vanilla flavor.
The common oil of almond bitter) al
|
prussic acid; this oil is said to be substi-
tuted sometimes by the oil of mirbane or
nitro benZole, eight or nine drops of which
is said to have produced DEATH
The peach and almond tlavors are also
limitations, made from prussc acid in some
form, and are very poisonous.
The third group contains medicinal fla
vors: licoIice, boneset, or horehound, gin
ger, cardamom, all of which have differ,
ent action from the first group, being re-
laxantS and diuratives, and will have that
effect in greater or less degree.
There are varieties of which we will not
here speak; but we must condemn the
spirituous drops sold at the street corners,
as decidedly impoltic and demoralizing to
the little ones who may be tempted to buy
them.
But the injurious effects of candies do
not stop here. The pure essential oils are
costly and are increasing in price yearly;
substitutes must be found, authorizations
are practiced, and among the most common
is the adulteration of the oil of peppermint
with spirits of turpentine, a thing to be
utterly condemned, especially as it's action
is, with exceptional persons or in excep-
tional cases, that of a violent and danger
Gus poison, and in all cases it is an irritat-
ing oil, producing congestion of the veins
and coagulation of the blood IA useful
styptic in cases of excessive bleeding, by
the way; and yet am informed it is used
by the confectioner himself, and only with
a rule to put in as much as he can disguise
or cover up.
| The use of laudanum in lcorice cougl
drops should be condemned. Many chile
has been injured by them without the
knowledge of what was going wrong.