Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1903-06-12
A TAINTED BREATH.
WHAT CAUSES 1T AND HOW 1T
SHOULD BE TREATED.


instead of using disinfectant washes or
gargles, should try to discover the
rause of the bad breath. 1t is almost
ridiculous to keep using disinfectants
while the cause of the fetor continues
to operate. Suppose any one were to
notice a bad smell in the back yard.
Instead of finding out exactly what the
cause of the bad smell is, he would SIM
ply throw d dislnfectant around, or de-
odorizer, In order to stop or disguise
the smell. Such a procedure would be
silly indeed. No one but a sanitary
officer would do such a thing.
A bad breath indicates some decom-
position going on somewhere in the
respiratory tract. 1t may be a hollow
tooth filed with decomposing material,
or the teeth may be so jammed to-
gether as to inclose portions of the
food, which ferment and fill the mouth
with noxious gases.
The trouble may be in the posterior
mares. One or both nostrils may be
stopped up. This leaves an unventi-
lated space just back of the nostril in
the upper portion of the throat. The
want of ventilation allows the mucus
to accumulate and kecompose, which
forms very fetid gas.
Or, again, the trouble may be caused
by enlarged tonslls. These sometimes
assume a globular form, with deep
crevices and seams which retain mu-
Gus. Again, mucus collects behind and
above an enlarged tonsil, where it is
sure to decompose and cause bad
breath.
Any portion of the respiratory tract
from the throat to the lungs may be
the seat of the difficulty. The mucous
surface Is liable to catarrh, and the
catarrh abrades the mucous men,
branes here and there, forming super
fetal ulcers, which furnish a continu-
GUS effluvia to the breath. Like little
volcanoes, they pour out their erup-
tions of noxious gases day and night to
contaminate the breath.
The stomach has often been accused
of being the cause of bad breath, but
the fact is the stomach rarely is the
cause of q bad breath The breath
does not enter the stomach. Respira.
ton has little or nothing to do with
the stomach. Breath is simply the act
of drawing the air into the lungs and
eXpelling it again.
The fetor of bad breath sometimes
originates in the lungs and is no doubt
the result of a deranged condition of
the whole system. The blood, being
surcharged with foul gases and decom-
posing material, gives off these gases
at each respiration. This is why the
breath of a person who drinks liquor
will become tainted with the smell of
the liquor. AT first the breath undoubt-
edly smells of the liquor simply be-
cause in passing through the mouth
and throat some of it adheres to the
mucous surfaces. If any one were to
rinse out the mouth with liquor, the
breath would smell for a short time,
but only for a short time. With the
dram drinker the case Is different. The
liquor having passed into his stomach,
1t is absorbed into the blood. Through
the blood it reaches the lungs, and
with each respiration from the lungs
a portion of the fumes from the liquor
are given off with the breath. This H.
lustrates how a bad condition of the
blood can taint the breath.
Undoubtedly onions and many other
aromatic substances find their way out
of the system through the breath. In
this way bad stomach may taint the
breath. This is why a bad stomach
means bad breath. Bad digestion pro
duces bad quality of blood. The
blood, circulating through the lungs,
gives off bad odors, which find their
way into the breath. In this round
about way the stomach may cause
bad breath, but as a rule the cause of
bad breath can be found closer at
hand - either in the teeth, posterior
mares, tonsils, throat or bronchial
tubes.
Instead of using mouth washes or
perfumes Of any sort to cure bad
breath, a person ought to have the
cause of the bad breath discovered.
Unfortunately it would be of little or
no use to such a person to call on the
average doctor, as he knows nothing
or cares nothing about such things.
He is simply engaged in prescribing
drugs and spends very little time in
ferreting out causes or removing OBJ
noxlous ailments by harmless and ra-
tional methods. In these matters every
person must use his own common
sense and try to be his own doctor.
No one should be content to allow
bad breath to continue. 1t is very I'M
healthy and is very obnoxious to other
people. Every man and woman is en-
titled to a sweet breath, and with a
little care and judgment this can be
had. But so long as any one continues
to take drugs or use narcotics to any
extent he cannot hope to have per-
fectly sweet breath. A pure breath
comes from pure living, pure habits
and the continuous practice of absolute
cleanliness. The toothbrush and cold
water should be used thoroughly once
a day. Gargling the throat should i'm
mediately follow. The nostrils should