The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1900-03-29

How They sh I'D be Cared Fer
WISE HINTS.
Selected.

, dence OF the Elgl Sh p0ODle tie calls
attention to the early ravages which
c.ries is making upon the teeth OF En-
gli>k children. snd calls for preves t. ve
! noeasuras \; anss a state Of sfair.
zach re regard ar a"nati,.ns! ca!sn.
ty" Among 776 children, whcse
| nonths be examined. hs found ) 357
bad teeth
He Is Justly alarmed by this figure,
and he calls the, attention of al! tbs
sch ,oim mistresa,s too this tcso much neg
leeted point OF juvenile hygiene TIE
remedy which he advocates Is a dental
inspection to be made regularly and
systematically by skilled dent,sts in all
tho public schools.
If English teeth are in danger, there
| corning the future of French teeth
he French dentists are not less pes
siui-tic than the director Of tbs En-
slish review. According to DIR. Pict
kieviez, out of the vhsle number OF
pupils of the public schools brought
to bls dental cllnic 81 par cant. are in
need of immediate treatment, and BY
adding to these the number OF those
without being affected need careful
watching and treatment sooner or later
the total Is brought up to IS per cent
NJ. Daily estimates tho proportion Of
children who are in urgent nssd OF
dental care to be IS per cent at least.
A few days ago La Socists de Made-
sins Partiqne did not cnnsller this
question Of too listis Importance to oo
cupv its attention, and after rigid
criticism OF the manner III whiea cor
po.ea! hygiene Is lc ganerAl eampre-
hended in the lyceums it made the FOL-
lowing sommendations
That the pupils Of the colleges
and lvceums ba required tp take the
necessary care, morning and night. Of
:,a..r 1.>:. .s ..... sen''s.
2. That they bs placed in this regard
in better practical conditions than
those at present offered them.
3. That they all be examined at the
beginning of each quarter (three mon
ths) session BY the dentist attached to
the establishment.
Have those recommendations been
heeded2 1t is doubtful, for, general
ly, the den lists begin to treat thelr
clients only whom il is too late to save
them. Many explanations were given
of thls eariiness OF dental Impair mon
among tue children. The blame was
laid on dyspepsia, abuse Of sweets and
certain drinks-such 40 cider, and on
the quality OF drinking water. Some
spoke of the influence Of ssrs5ral fst-
igue. DR.. Sherwood remarked that
with children who study hard the teeth
dstsriorate rapidly after these children
enter school, and nothing can stop the
progress of the evil but taking them
from their studies. According to Mag
ltOt too asslduoua application ibjurss
the good dsvslopmsnt aud preservation
of the testh of the pupils OF the Eeols
Polytschniqus. All that 10 possible
and no one denies the influence of
these auxiliary conditions. But the
true cause, rest assured of it, is the neg
lsct or Ignorance OF the toothbrush.
Many parents, in this respect, seem to
b. inspired by the remark of Calino
"Why do people wash their hands
every day and never wash their feet2''
Children are taught to CLEAN their faces
every day but how many are unaware
until the age of reascn, and the age of
REASON is sometimes late in coming,
that tho daily washing OF the mouth
and teeth is IS Indispensable ~ the
washing of the other parts Of the. body
On this subjest OF bucsal hygiene,
We must admit the superiority Of the
negroes of Africa.
Dr. Haffln, who practiscs medicine
in Cameron, estimates that no less
than forty Ave miutss day are devoted
to cleaning tho teeth. At sunrise,
each morning, and after sash meal,
the mouth is carefully rinsed, and
several times in addition the teeth are
rubtsd and cisanssd with dry sand or
the "tooth stick"
This stick - a root six Inches lons
showed at both ends. Each native
possesses his own stick, but is not A.
hove using his neighbor's. The opinion
s,t the natives, indeed, is that the more
they have been used, the bet.er they
are. DR.. Haffin, who declares the
usage OF the 'ss;ick" to have bssn satls-
factory to him, confesses that he did
not personally verify this latter state
ment.
Does it surprise anyone, alter that,
that the negroes have such white teeth!
And compare this African cleansing OF
the mouth with the careIessness OF so
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