The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1889-09-20
THE DEADLY TooTHPIcK.
A Physician and . Dentist Say That Chew
Ing Toothpicks Is q Hal Habit.

A Physician and . Dentist Say That Chew
Ing Toothpicks Is Bah Habit.
do you know" said physician to
Herald man yesterday, that the
great American habit of toothpick
chewing is responsible for q great
number of human illsp The young
man was more than surprised. He
said he'd be glad to learn just how
those evils are wrought by the appar-
emily harmless and Indispensable tooth
pick.
WELL" said the physician ''of
course | refer more particularly to the
practice of chewing wooden tooth
picks. And when l modify my state
ment in this way l don't have any
hesitation in reiterating that the
wooden toothpick is an engine of de-
struction. If you have ever noticed
these things much you have observed
that a good many people who take
theirmeals at restaurants or hotel cafes,
and rush out Immediately afterward to
business, snatch on the way tooth
pick, sometimes several of them, and
thrust the little wooden spears into
the mouth. In nine cases out of ten
they don't use the toothpick quickly
and as Il matter of business, but they
retain it in the mouth after all neces-
sity for its function has ceased. They
chew on it and wabble it about under
the jaws, and finally the piece of wood
is reduced to ragged pulp, and then it
is usually cast away. Very frequent
lowed, and I know one man who was
in the habit of eating his toothpick.
became acquainted with him, because
he wanted me to give him something
to heal his stomach, which was really
in q lacerated condition. The small
particles of food that are swallowed
frequently lodge in the walls Of the
stomach somewhere, and induce gas
trio disturbance. I know several
cases which proved fatal. A man may
SO on chewing toothpicks for fifty
years and never suffer any i'll effects,
but his less fortunate neighbor may
chew them for few days and die on
account of 1t. I tell you q fact when
I say that lots of trouble with the di-
gestive apparatus and lots of more
serious ailments may be, and have
been by me in many instances, traced
to the use of toothpicks as I have
pointed out. The habit, I notice, is
one that is growing rapidly, and,
aside from the fact that it is an i'll
bred and rude custom, it is to be de-
tested on hygienic principles. found
out the other day that some restau-
rants dip their toothpicks in some aro-
matte fluid, like cinnamon, and this
tends to cause a big spread of the
toothpick chewing habit. The person
who puts one Of these prepared sticks
in his mouth can hardly resist the
temptation to chew on it. It's an aw-
full habit, and I'd like to see people
stop it."
The Herald man saw his friend the
dentist yesterday, and told him about
the physicians warning and advice,
and asked him what he Thought about
it. WELL" he said, smiling II don't
know that l ought to talk of such
thing. If we fellows give the public
too much advice, where will our trade
come from2 The fact is, the habit of
toothpick chewing brings the dentist
lots OF customers. In long practice
I've seen how very destructive and
dangerous the wooden toothpick is
when chewed. 1t destroys the gums
and the teeth, its chewed fibers LAGER
ate the bronchial passages, get into
the throat and head, and indure Ca
tarrh, bad breath and general dishg-
urement Of the mouth. II were
philanthropist instead Of dentist, !
should advise everybody to avoid
chewing toothpicks. Boston Herald