The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1901-12-06
NEGROES SEEK THE DENTIST.
New Experience for the COIOred
Race Which Makes Its
Victims Proud

| AhOpC WIZ Oh IIlUClCblSu Ill ICelu
must have observed one thing" said
the man of experience, according to
! the New York Sun, land that is that
! the colored people who sport kind
of filigree work in gold across the
| front of their mouths are much more
numerous now than formerly. This
increase in dental work among ne
groes is a matter of surprise and
even philosophizing Black people, as
a rule, are supposed to have the best
teeth on earth, and doubtless up to
a few years ago their dental equip
ment was as good as reputed, but it
is so no longer. OF course, you will
see many a colored man or woman
whose teeth are of shape and a
wilderness to fill the soul of the av-
erage beholder with envy, but these
splendid mouthfUls of teeth are now
the exception rather than the rule.
81 have the word of a dentist in
West Thirty-siXth street that half of
! his patronage is found among the
colored residents of the neighbor-
hood. For the last five years they
have been visiting him in constantly
increasing numbers. When the first
began to approach him in a profess
sional capacity he hardly knew what
to make of the innovation and had
half a notion to turn them down, but
common sense put in word of ad-
vice and showed him that there was
profit in his new class of patients,
H., ~lr,,
and bicuspids courageously.
! "There are now few colored dem
fists in town, but although they seem
to do a fair business my friend and
one or two others in like localities
seem to have a monopoly of the ne
gro trade. Strange as it may seem,
many of the race take a degree of
pride in the luxury of cracked enamel
and agonizing aches and pains.
They consider the suffering a sign of
emancipa ton from heathenish good
health and consequent elevation in
to the region of polite Affections and
their physical torture is mixed with
spiritual exaltation WHICH goes far
to relieve their distress. Their the
DIy Is IO uouDb COIIGCJ, III " InSdSAIcy
but to tooth-bedeviled white man
gold filings and bridge work are q
pretty tough way to indicate social
Advancement.
Dentists who make o speciality of
negro patients are struck with the
unanimity with which they insist up
on frst-class work. The colored own
oe 4
contempt upon an enamel filling. In
his opinion, nothing short OF gold
plug will make amends for the dis
comfort he undergoes in acquiring
the trademark of superiority and he
will pinch in a hundred odd ways to
save money enough to settle the bill
for faultless job. 1t is singular, too,
that when colored martyr to tooth
ache has been operated on by den
fist he wants everybody to know it,
and if there is a hole as big as pin
point in any of his front teeth he in
sists upon having it filed with gold
so that his ordeal in the dentists
chair may advertise itself in unmis-
TAXA BILE terms.
| LiS VI CIV - NV pCSullpI " IHC
co.ored popula Ion aIone, however.
1t is common to many emigrants
l;nding here. Most of these new
corners, particularly those of the low
ar orders, have excellent teeth, but
no sooner do they begin to unlearn
their past rules of living and adopt
new and more approved customs than
! Of +o1
power. The Greeks have especially
fine teeth. but even their strong, firm
grinders succumb to the rayages of a
change in the style of eating, and in
time visit to the dentist becomes
necessary. Like the negro, all these
converts to the toothache habit, are
sticklers for good service and demand
gola filings or none at all"
Simple New Way to Get Pure Water.
Uncomfortable consequences may
follow the use of the best of water
by persons who are not accustomed
to it, as we all know from experience
in changing our usual daily beverage.
This matter is quite al important
one now when so many persons are
going from the Croton water and
drinking from strange streams, lakes,
wells OF springs, and it behooves them
to guard agaiHst the evil effects of
the change as far as possible. From
the domestic science department, OF
the Boston institute comes a recon-
mendation OF q simple and efficient
way of preventing trouble from a
change OF water. IT is to carry a
small phial of the crystals of perman-
ganate of potash with you, and to put
one of the pieces in each glass of wa
ter that you drink. 1t will turn the
water slight pinkish tinge, and, ac-
eerdiag to the authority, make it a
saIe beverage fer strange stomachs.
N. Y. Herald,
Short of Proper Clothes.
| Of tho Inv,