New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-04-03
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PROFESSOR STONES DISCOVERY.

PROFESSOR STONES DISCOVERY.
To the intelligent reader we do not need to IN
troduce Professor Stone, of Boston For the last
twenty wears Professor Stone has been known as
an active and authoritative worker In the hcld
Of science. To him more than 70 anybody else
do we owe our knowledge OF the fossil footprints
of the rocks of Northern Rhode Island, and his
work on Certain Rcsemblances Between the frc-
historic Races of Ohio and the Present Inhabitants
of Labrador, with Thoughts on the lmmutabllty
Of Human Varieties" is the highest authority on
tie subject. Nor has the Professor entirely
neglected more popular forms of research, as his
work on Food Adulterafions, with Hints for Their
Prevention" aitests. Indeed, our object in re-
ferrng to the Professor to-day is to speak of
recent discovery of his in regard to a matter OF
c,<ryday interest to thousands of people in this
country; and, though there was one slight error
in the conclusions drawn by him, our confidence
in his scientific ability is strengthened rather than
weakened.
A few weeks ago Professor Stone was called to
Marltown, Ind, by the sickness Of an aunt lie
remained in the place several days, and naturally
his scientific mind active. 1t is as I'M
possible for trained scientist to refrain from OBJ
serving and drawing conclusions as II is for
duck to keep from swimming when adjusted LII the
water The practical scientist has not the pcne-
traton of the Englishman who can sail along
The Atlantic Coast in his yacht and then write q
book on Social Life in Utah." bu; he nevertheless
can see an infinite variety of things which are
as sealed book to the ordinary person Pro-
lessor Stone had not been in Marltown twenty
four hours before he noted marked absence Of
natural teeth among the men of the place Per
haps half Of the men in MarltOwn-certanly over
half of the young men-had no teeth at all except
false ones, and the other men all had lost from
one to dozen Of their original teeth. Like
true scientist, the Professor first carefully col
lcctcd and tabuatcd his facts. lie found that
there should be grand total of $4,000
natural teeth in the mouths Of the
Marltown men, but he could find only
1850. making the startling deficiency Of 46-
500. Every effect must have causc-thcrc is
nothing dcarcr TO the scientific heart than this
Professor Stone looked around for the cauSe Of
this remarkable tooth disappearance. Again like
true scientist, he asked no questions but pro-
cccdcd 10 evolve the cause from the ascertained
facts bearing on the effect. lie soon became
convinced that the of natural gas in the
houses was responsible for the rapid decay Of
teeth in Marltown. No sooner had he settled
this in his mind than, again like true scientist.
he proceeded to give his discovery TO the world
In long and scholarly article in The Boston
Science Monthly he presented his facts and eX-
planned the evident cause. lie denounced natural
gas in unmcasurcd terms and predicted that
unless its use was stopped the time when
men would become permanently toothless would
be much fastened The Professors able paper
provoked much comment in scientific circles. and
IL was just becoming agreed few days ago that
the usc Of natural gas must cease when I'M
scientific person from Toledo who had also Wis
itcd Marlt0wn, heard from.
This unscentGc individual Of course went AZ
his investigation in a very unscicntiiic manner
We need not give his crude researches more space
than 20 say that lac aScertained that two years
ago "A handsome. black-eyed. curly -headed. dim
plel-cheeked young lady dentist from Chicago
opened an Office in Marltown. and that since then
the men Of the place have not done much but
get their teeth pulled These being the hard
facts in the case, apparently. the ingenious and
strictly scientific theory Of Professor Stone must.
in the words Of the political economist. fall 10
the ground and scientists lose interest in 1t.
But 10 still retains it's interest for other people.
II the young lady dentist is responsible for the
fall OF the masculine Marltown tooth shall not
the young lady dentist bc prohibited? She is
being turned out in increasing numbers each
year by tho colleges. and there is no reason why
size may not spread and become common every
the Marltown men are any different from other
mcu. therefore the coming Of the young lady
dentist apparently means the going OF the male
tooth. and something ought TO be done about IT
before il is too late