The San Francisco call., 1897-07-16

: Age is a great predisposing factor. In in
! fancy and childhood we have present a super
abundance OF this fntercelluar ceme1t sub
! stance and very much sof ened. believe this
explains the extreme susceptibility of children
! 10 bacterial diseases.
AS age comes UpJn US we become careless
! and do not cleanse our teeth carefully as
| has been the custom. We also have q shrink
! age OF this interce ilular cement subs
| You don't need miscroscope to see the cracks
| that have appeared in the enamel This is
why the ieetu RAPIDLY decay.
Certain diseases. like syphilis, tubercu-
losis various contagious diseases and adyna-
mic fevers. tend to soften this iuterceliular
cament su bsiance. Neglect in cleansing
properly gives bacteria chance 10 produce
decay.
You ssk what are those conditions that keep
our teeth from deeaying. First. anything
Keeping the teeth smooth so that bacteria can
not lodge; second, ANYTHING that will harden
sufficiently the intercellular cement ubstance
10 prevent the entrance of bacteria.
l think that most of you are aware that GER
tain habits, like smoking and the of al
cohol, prevents the teeth from decaying.
There no class OF foreigners that come TO
this country with better teeth and keep them
so than the Chinese. Their diet OF salted,
dried and smoked foods might be truly said to
De anuseptlc. Their excessive use OF TOBACCO
and tea, l I'm sure serves to harden the teeth.
You ali know that sail hardens tissues. II
has been used by man for ce turies 10 pre-
serve his foods. When taken into the body it
keeps antiseptic the tissues by its hardening
acl ion Oh the albumen OF the cells.
/. alcohol Will harden albu nen out of the
Dody, 1t will do so just as effectively in the
ondy. When you gee a fellow whose tissues
are literally satur tedwith alcoBo' do you won
GER that these little plants d. not grow we'll?
30 IL IS rare that an old drunk'S teeth decay.
They may loosen and drop out from the ac-
cumulauon OF tartar. but rarely does he have
decay.
Now, / am not an advocate of the use of
alcohol; Far from I, for if there was ever
haDlt that cursed mankind the drinking
habit crowns them ali. / merely offer you
this es reason why ihc drunkards teeth and
those OF persons who use tobacco do not de-
cay.
1t is now six years since DR.. stehbins reccg-
nized and demonstrated to the world that
nitrate OF silver would control and prevent de-
cay. others may have known and used this,
put ihey selfshly hid it from the people
what II IL does blacken the teeth? Black
teeth are far better than no teeth. But as Dr.
G. +. Allan puts il: 1--WE want some medicine
or material that has the perseryative powers
OF the silver salts that will not discolor the
teeth that can be used on the interior as well
as the posteTior teeth" Youlask: Have we
such materials? Can you tell us any reme-
dies that Will save peoples teeth and not dis
color them? / think l can. This is why |
have brought this su bject before you. l found
from studying the action OF nitrate Of silver
that it formed with the dentine. broken-down
enamel and bacteria an in soluble sIbumnte
OF silver. That is to say the interceliular ce-
ment sub bstal c. about which have talked SO
much had become hardened and rendered in
so ubie TO the diges Tive action OF bacteria
believe that the ability to harden aibumen
and render IL insoluble TO the action of pac-
terra is the process by which all known bacter-
icides act: that tht are powerful in prevent
to form iusolubie albumate with the teeth |
and other structures OF the body
Surely you have all noticed there is not re-
currence from decay around your cement fill
ings. Have YOU not often wondered 81 the
reason of this? How do / explain it, By the |
ability 10 harden albumen OF the teeth on the