Evening star., 1903-09-22
MOUTH BACTERIA.
Importance Of Keeping Teeth, Tongue
and Gums Clean.
From the Boston Transcript.

From the Boston Transcript.
What appears to be valuable contribu-
! ton to prophylactic science has been made
in brief but comprehensive form by DR..
Samuel A. Hopkins Of this city. in paper
| read some little time ago before the New
York Institute of Stomatology, but now
reproduced in convenient pamphlet form.
1t is O study Of mouth bacteria" and is
a subject likely to have Intelligent treat
ment from a man Of DR.. Hopkins training,
inasmuch as he Is not only dentist but
a doctor Of medicine as we'll. He says, 'It
has long been known that nearly every
common form of bacteria. both Of the
pathogenic and non-pathogenio variety,
finds its way at some time into the human
mouth" We have the highest New Testa-
ment authority for the statement that mot
that which goeth into the mouth Of man
defileth the man. but that which cometh
out of the mouth: this defeth man."
The Great Teacher. however. was not de-
livering pathological lecture when He ut
tered those words. and If all varieties Of
bacteria find a lodgment In the mouth at
one time or another. 1t Is important to know
how to deal with them. The paper is in
way technical and intended for those
familiar with technical terms, but is at
least comprehensive in its conclusions by
all VINO possess normal amount Of COM
mon sense. To designate the three patho-
gen1o or disease-producing mouth forms
or organisms which the doctor has particu-
larly investigated would. perhaps, convey
no PARTICULAR meaning to the average read
er, but the most interesting Of them seems
to be the micrococcus lanceolatus discoy-
cred In 1880 by Sternberg. who found 1t In
the oral cavity of about twenty per cent
of the healthy mouths examined. 1t goes
by other names. also. but it means the
same thing under all Of them.
This Is said by the writer OF this paper
to be the easiest Of all pathogenic mouth
forms to get rid of. absolute cleanliness
of the mouth. including tongue and teeth,
with the frequent use of an antiseptic
mouth wash would. in q majority of in
stances. cause the entire disappearance of
this bactertum in from three to fourteen
days" But what does II do. and what are
its dangers7 1t is held to be the excitant
of croupous pneumonia and the infection in
a majority Of cases Is said to be derived
from the mouth. If 80. ut can be as
serted with a degree Of positiveness fully
borne out by experiments and by clinical
experience that this disease might be al
most eliminated from human ills were 1t
possible to, keep the mouth in a clean,
healthy condition. This is not deemed to
be practically possible, largely owing to the
fact that people will not be persuaded to
take the time and the trouble necessary to
attain that end. Still 1t carries a valuable
suggestion for the medical practitioner.
CroupouS pneumonia Is quite likely to
follow other weakening diseases, not be-
cause one disease runs into another, but be-
cause the lessened power of resistance sue
cumbs to other attacks more easily. MANY
physicians now recognize in a degree the
Importance of cleansing the mouth, and the
educated nurse. If she be a careful woman
will brush regularly her patients teeth. be-
cause she has found that this simple act