Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1896-10-29

they are based on solid facts and reaS
oning. says the New York Journal.
The human race is likely before many
centuries to be toothless, because each
year there is less and less use for the
teeth, Especially among the higher and
Weather classes is this so. Anything
to eat that requires the muscular eX-
ertion Of the Jaws to any extent is
apt to be thrown aside and its place
teken by soft, deity prepared foods
that need little effort on the part of the
teeth.
Thus, more and more, the teeth are
coming to be useless appendages. Sci
entists say now that the progenitors of
the human race had tails and that
they gradually lost them because they
became useless. 1t is known that if
a limb or organ of the body ceases to
be used for any length of time it will
become practically paralyzed and with
out life. Should it continue to be
unused for generations it would at last
disappear. And this is the way the
teeth are likely to go.
1t is fact not to be denied that year
by year our molars play diminishing
part in the functions of life. Seldom
nowadays set Of vigorous, white
teeth is seen, either in man or woman,
unless it is artificial. Looking at it
from the point of view of science, there
Is no reason why the teeth should
be the fine structures Of bone, pro-
tected by their healthful coating of
pearly enamel, that they once were. In
the early days, before civilization had
come with its excavations, a mans
teeth were almost as important to him
as his arm. Knives and forks had not
come into play then and uncivilized
mans food consisted in great part of
meat, raw, or so imperfectly roasted
that it had to be ground into bits with
| the mouth. Nuts and fruits had hard
skins and needed sharp biting before
they could be comfortably devoured.
The early Asiatic tribes, the Norsemen
and the North American Indians have
had the fame Of their shining strong
teeth come down to us, and it was no
uncommon feat in those days for a
man to perform as perfectly natural
thing what would seem at the present
time prodigies Of strength with his
! jawbone.
While even in those early times there
was nervation and consciousness ram
pant among the aristocrats. 1t did not
come down to the middle class or the
common people, who kept on eating
food that was tough. 1t never oc-
Cured to them that eating could be
made easy by the refinements and ele-
gancies Of boiling, roasting and sundry
connections. Their nourishment was
purchased at the price Of the sweat Of
their arms and the masterful power
OF their grinding teeth. One needs
only to read bit of the literature OF
the middle ages to learn that good
"trencher" men were highly regarded
To be "trencher man" meant nothing
more nor less than to be able to clear
of the great wooden dishes heaped
with meats in an uncommonly short
time.
So it went along for centuries, with
the women as we'll as with the men
soft foods being hardly known, ever
in the halls Of the highest in the land
AS civilization became more and more
pronounced, and luxuries began to be
come necessities, it was still only thu
better class that was affected. Thu
poor had to continue eating what the!
best could get, and continuing t.
make the fullest use Of their paws ant
their teeth. But within the past hal
century a change has slowly beet Get
ting in.
So pronounced is this getting that a
the table of the laborer at S1.25 day
as we'll as at the board of the million
aire, soft foods are served and eatel
to the exclusion of nearly all else. TIL
workman's wife, who cannot afford t
buy the fine cut of meat that the richie
man has sent to him. boils and roast
until she sets before her husband an
children as tender a dish as those tina
} stand on the tables Of the wealthy.
Candy, too, is much softer than
used to be, and in place Of the hare
sugary balls, creams, nougats and can
died fruits, to say nothing of tn
, French CONNECTIONS that are CONSTANT
. increasing in popularity, have com
pretty thoroughly into vogue. Ono
upon a time molasses candy was grea,
~ in flavor, and candy pulls among tn
delights OF a generation that is mo-
past.
Science, besides, has aided in this b
, devising canned meats and condense
foods, which are made today in en-
! ormous quantities and distribute
widely. There is precisely the sam
: amount OF nutriment in these tha
: there is in meat and vegetables
their natural state subjected only
a small amount OF cooking, but chen
ical processes take the place OF actus
r mastication, and, as the food sliI
+ down the throat there is nothing LEI
to all intents and purposes, for tn
l teeth to do. Originally planned fo
= fhe henefit NJ inyalids and for the cor