The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-03-24

decomposfng, becomes fertile soil for the
development of disease germs which may
pc deposited thereon. These are in turn
transferred to the child's mouth where
they frequently cause disease, especially
sour mouth or throat disease of gernnic
origin and parasitic growth. No matter
now elaborate the ring may be the dan
ger exists and is, in fact even more
imminent the more elaborate the design
Richly carved rings Of ivory, deeply
chased rings of silver or gold ingenious
complnauons or a rattle and teething
ring, nave multitudinOus creVices and
md1ng places which are to the deadly
germ as caves to bloodthirsty bandits
Where they Turk IN ambush awaiting a
victim.
Other accidents may occur through the
medium of the teething ring Cats and
dogs may lick it and leave the ova Of
parasites upon 1t which are thus trans
!erred to the child, who, in turn, becomes
infected with host Of similar parasites.
Contagious or infectious disease germs
may adhere u it and thus inoculate thu
enid: This is especially true Of the So
called NTH diseases, and in this connec-
ton a warning against finger sucking is
timely. If the child sucks it sown fin
gers it deformE its mouth and also sucks
wind, which causes StOInach trouble es
pecially fermentation, and it deforms
the fingers and even Weakens the Joints
Mothers too poor or too penurious to bIv
the baby tecthing ring often substitute
lhelr own fingers. which are not ALWAYS
freshly washed for the occasion Even
It they We're scrubbed and sandpaDered
for the occasion they would not be clean
incidentally speaking, for the minute fis-
SureS OF the skin catch and hold many
microscopic things that NAV be extreme
iy dangerous. If we consider how deli
cate tissue The mucous membrane is We
can readily see how disease may be Civ
en- 10 a child in this manner. 1t is in
TACT lnoculated Just as surely as the
physician 1noculates the child with vac
cine virus, the finger being sufficiently
rough to sc2rify the tender membrane
Moreover, aside from its morbific char
dcter, the teeShfng ring is an indirect
lrlpute TO and Acknowledgement OF idol
aoLy: Even IN our own time some SUI
persLlous people attribute great eff
cacy to necklace Of amber beads In
protecting the child against the evils Of
teetmng: This proves that old beliefs
die hard for amber was much esteemed
by the Romans as an amulet The T, ain
name was Suclnus, from suc1s Juice q
reference to the derivation of amber
from trees. 1t was also called electrIs
or lightning, it's electrical qualities nroh-
ably suggesting the idea that il was
crystallizec or rather consolidated light
ming.
Among the Romans amber was much
used for ornaments, but only by women
probably on account of a special belief
IN It's special powers as an amulet If
was common for women to carry a ban NJ
AMBER IN their hands, not as some sup
pose, TO keep their hands warm but a 8
protection against evil The pomander
anected by women in the Middle Ages was
simply modified form of this, the word
ltset being a corruption of the French
PoinLne andre, meaning an apple or
pan OF amber. This was either a paiI
maze CT composition of aromatic sub
stances, bound together with gum, or a
perforated case of bone ivory. or pre-
clous metal, filed with spices, which was
carried In the pocket or worn suspended
from a necklace or from a chatelaine A
formula for these is as follows: Yellow
saunders, cyperus, cloves, balsam Of
Peru, or each two drachms; benzoin and
styrax, of each half ounce; musk and
civet, of each ten grains; oil of CHINA
mon, five drops; oil Of rhodium, fifteen
drops; essence of jessamine, one drachTn.
nerol1, twenty drops; ivory black one
and one-haf ounces; plaster of Paris,
TWO ounces; mucilage of tragacanth
made with rose water a sufficient guam
t1ty to make stiff mass. Mold this into
the form desired aud let the balls dry
Slowly, not in an oven, as that would
cause the scent to eYaporate.
Much more of interest might be written
about amulets and the teethng ring pat
termed after them, but time fails ana
space forbids. To say a final word about
t.ething rings, if you must have them
boil them as often as you can and keep
them as clean as you can, for a soilad
teething ring will offset and counteract
the most scrupulous cleanliness and The
most perfect hygienic precautions
Leon Noel