The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1904-08-22

They Must be Looked After to Main
tain Military Efficiency.

tain Mllitary Efficiency.
After much study the British war
oflce has appointed eight dental sur
geons who are to aid in maintaining
the courage and temper OF the
army" Interesting as is the announce
ment, England is considerably behind
the United States in learning the inn
portance Of caring for soldiers teeth.
In the first place. we have ha1 these
important adjuncts to the medical
corps since February 2, 1901 when the
law officially creating them was plss-
ed The law stipulated that there
should be one dentist for every thous.
and soldiers and officers AS the law
has been ia force for over three years,
and the wisdom Of its passage has be-
come daily more manifest. the limit OF
the number OF dentists allowed for
the army is already nearly reached.
In this country a secondary consid-
Grafton. quite naturally following the
first, has bobbed up--an effort on the
part of the dentists to be admitted In
70 the army as commissioned officers.
At the present time they are merely
/ legalized aids to the medical corps
under the jurisdiction Of the army sur.
geUns.
When Gen. Miles signed the order
for the appointment Of dentists it had
been discovered that however well the
natives of the Philippines and Cuba
preserved their teeth in their warm
climates. our soldiers suffered severe
ly As soon as a regiment reached the
tropics. its officers and men began 70
have trouble with their teeth.
The trouble, however was the result
Of intestinal disorders. The medical
men who were behind the bill Great
ing the dentists understood this, and
useful as the dentists are to any
army in any lands they have proved
especially so to American soldiers.
cause Of the new possessions and
physical ailments following upon
their arrival there.
While the law stipulated that not
more than one dentist for every thou
sand soldiers should be appointed IL
allowed them to be sent in whatever
quota was deemed necessary to what
ever points needed them most AS "a
result we now have in Cuba and the
Philippines a regular army of den
lists so large as to put to shame the
recent appointment Of eight tooth doc
tors by the United Kingdom.
SO important is this army depart
ment that it seems surprising how i.
has remained to be established until
. SO recent a date Army officers declare
with one voice that there is no such
think as a courageous fighting force
: with bad teeth, but It is a solemn
truth to which the powers of the
world seem just waking up.
I think that most people viii agree. ''
said an army surgeon the other day,
''that dyspepsia is not conducive to
gallantry and dash. With Jour heart
+ beating violently, your head in a
whirl and your stomach affected as
by the heaving sea, you cannot ex
:. pect your nerves TO be in condition
proper for successful action in modern
warfare. For that a man must be alb
Bolutely fit If the soldiers teeth are
: bad, and he is inclined to dyspepsia
/, in peace and comfort, what will he b'
when his meals are rorgh and irregu
iar2 Unless molars' and grinders ar'
In good order 1t must mean that before
G long the man viii be permanently OF
a. the sick list
"As a matter of fact, It is quite az
4 palling how many would-be recruit
have to be refused because of the con
,o tition of their teeth, and the war Of
nee in this country, as well as the on'
/, In England, is to be congratulated up
= on the steps II is taking to insure goo'
teeth in the soldiers. The common nd
age, No foot, no horse, might well b.
q. paraphrased into no tech, no man.
while not abreast of us in the mat
ter Of army dentists, Great Britain !
hs l understand goiag to the fountai
step in advance Of us in that It is
head in the matter, and is trying I
enforce a law which requires the el
animation Of the teeth Of boys In tn
boarding schools In teeth, as in e'
Z erything else. the boy is father 20 III
9 man. A generation bred from dyspe
tics means a people whose shattere
constitutions viii crowd our hospital
!. and asylums The strain Of model
6 existence Is often put down as the sol
z cause for modern lunacy 1t is, I
& doubt, a contributing factor, but b
& lieve very much Of II is due 10 ne
Z lected teeth. accentuated in two