Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-08-13
The Deadly Toothpick-
From the Boston Herald.


"Do you know" said physician to Herald
man yesterday, "that the great American habit
Of toothpick chewing is responsible for q very
large number of human ills2" The young man
was more than surprised He said he d be glad
to learn just how these evils are wrought by
the apparently harmless and indispensable
toothpick.
"well," said the physician, "of course refer
more particularly to the practice of chewing
wooden toothpicks. And when I modify my
statement in this way don't have any hesita-
ton in reiterating that the wooden toothpick is
an engine Of destruction II you have ever
noticed these things much you have observed
that a good many people who take their meals
at restaurants or hotel cafes, and rush out i'm
mediately afterward TO business, snatch on the
way toothpick, sometimes several Of them,
and thrust the little wooden spears in the
mouth. In nine cases out Of ten they don't use
the toothpick quickly and as o matter Of bust
ness, but they retain it in the mouth after all
necessity for its functions has ceased They
chew on it and wobble il about under the jaws,
and finally the piece Of wood ID reduced TO .
ragged pulp, and then it is usually cast away.
Very frequently small particles of the wood are
swallowed, and know one man who was in the
habit Of eating his toothpick. i became 40
quainted with him because he wanted me to
give him something to heal his stomach,
which was really in lacerated con-
dition. The small particles Of wood
VIM oie "oAo"oo hcduenhy Aou6c Az VIC
walls Of the stomach somewhere and induce
gastric disturbance. I know several cases
which proved fatal A man may 60 on chew
ing 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 ac-
count of it. tell you Q fact when say that
lots Of troubles with the digestive app rstus
and lots Of more serious ailments may be, and
have been by me in many instances, traced 70
the use of toothpicks 90 have pointed out.
The habit, notice, il one that 10 growing rap
idly, and, aside from the fact that ID Is an In
bred and rude custom, it il to be detested ON
hygienic principles. I found the other day
that some restaurants dip their toothpicks in
some aromatic fluid like cinnamon, and this
tends to cause big spread Of the toothpick-
chewing habit The person who puts one Of
these prepared sticks in his mouth can hardly
resist the temptation 10 chew on il It's an
awful habit, and I'd like 70 see people stop &C."
The Herald man saw his friend the dentist
yesterday and told him about the physicians
warning and advice and asked him what 10
thought about it "weI," he said, smiling, Il
don't know that ought 10 talk about such .
thing. II We fellows give the public too much
advice where viii our trade come fromf The
fact Il. the habit Of toothpick chewing brings
the dentasts lots Of customer In long prac-
ttce I've seen how very destructive and Danger
Gus the wooden toothpick II when chewed. n
destroys the gums and the teeth, its chewsd
6bers lacerate the bronchial passages, get into
the throat and head and induce cstarrh, bed
breath and general disAguremept Of the mouth.
II were . philanthropist instead Of deutist
I should adviss everybody 70 avoid chewing
toothpickA"