Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-12-01
HUMAN TEETH FAILING.
A Marked Change for the Worse
 in the Past Century.
The Modern Degeneracy of the Teeth the Result of Neglect to Properly Conserve tho Nervous
 Epergies.

EnerS1eSs
 A comparative examination of the skulls of savage and civilized races shows that the increased brain develop ment of the latter is always accom- panied by a marked modification in the form and size of the jaws and teeth. This modification is usually spoken oi as a degenerate condition. While 1t is quite true that decay of the teeth is much more prevalent among highly civilized than among savage peoples, il Is open to question whether it be an in evitable concomitant condition. The Greeks had, apparently, nearly solved this problem at the height of their civ. ilization, for it is not until the com mencement of the period of their de- cadence that we find any marked de cay of their teeth. The modern de generacy of the teeth, therefore, is not to be regarded as directly due to modi hcations produced by changes in the contour of the face and skull conse quent on increased brain development, as some scientific men have contended but rather as the result of neglect to properly conserve the nervous energies necessary for maintaining that balance of physique upon which health or wholeness is primarily dependent. Al weakened or diseased condition of any part of the human organism, excepting, of course, such as Is produced by me- chanical injuries, is always local ex- pression of a greater or less general de cline of systemic vitality. That there has been steady and rapid deteriora- tion in the quality of human teeth among nearly all the great civilized nations of the earth during the past century. a deterioration especially marked during the past thirty or forty years, no one can deny.
 Are we, then, to consider this degen- eracy of the teeth as a local indication of a general decline of racial vitality? asks a writer in the New Review. J can see no possibility of avoiding an affirmative answer to such question, but there are, at the same time, as we shall see, certain peculiar circum- stances and conditions attending de- cay of the teeth which largely qualify such an affirmative answer. The prob lem, however, is very grave and de- mands the most serious consideration. We are always prone to overlook the importance of any disease which does not immediately threaten to extinguish life; but it would not, believe, be difh. cult to show that the sum of physical evils which may be directly traced to decay and loss of the teeth is far greater than any likely to be inflicted by the advent of any contagious or infectious disease. On first thought this may seem a bold statement, but the simple truth is that the foundations are laid and the way prepared for the incoming of many diseases, both contagious and non-contagious, by degenerate condi- tion of the teeth. A high state of vital ity is the emostperfect protection against any form of disease, and this can only be secured and maintained by perfect nutrition. Perfect nutrition results from perfect digestion of food materials, and perfect digestion Is an impossibility without perfect mastication. The life of the whole body Is poisoned at its fountain springs when food, half masti- saliva and loaded with the nitro-organ- isms which proliferate in the cavities ot decaying teeth is taken into the stomach
 If natures adaptive powers were not wonderful almost beyond belief thou sands of people would speedily die from this sort of self-poisoning; as it is,
 
 chronic diseases are established in this way. am probably considerably within the bounds of my statement when say that the loss of the masti- eating teeth before the thirtieth year means a shortening of the life of the individual of from two to five years To know the extent to which many of these teeth are lost, even before the fifteenth year, one has only to turn to the recently published reports of the examination of the teeth of children in the schools and orphan homes of Lon- don and elsewhere. If some effective measures are not adopted for combat ing the ravages of dental decay 1t looks very much as though another half century would find the poorer classes of English people practically edentulous before the twentieth year.