The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1913-04-15
PURE FOODS, PURE DRUGS AND
IMPORTANCE OF GOOD TEETH


This is an age of pure foods and
pure drugs, and we are having active
municipal and congressional leglsla-
ton along these lines. Inspectors
are provided for slaughter houses,
markets, restaurants, ice cream par
lOrs, confectionery Establishments,
bakeries and numerous other places
where food is prepared and sold. The
public is rapidly becoming educated
to the Importance of all these places
being clean and sanitary. 1t requires
very little evidence to convince the
public of the necessity of having their
foods handled with the greatest pre-
caution from infection. No one thor
oughly alive to the necessity of OBJ
serving the scrupulous care in pro-
tecting milk from contamination in
its various stages of milking, cooling,
bottling and shipping would consent
to rendering all these precautions
negative by improper care after its
arrival in the household. Foods,
drinks and drugs after passing all
possible sources of pollution success
fully often meet their Waterloo in
the mouth of the consumer. Ma
tional, state and municipal authori-
ties realize the necessity Of pure food
and pure drugs, and are Waging an
active warfare along these lines. In
Atlanta, Ga, on April 1st, one retail
er of foods was brought before the
recorder and fined for being one hour
late in placing his fly screens.
Viewing this warfare from the eX-
perience OF an oral surgeon | cannot
see what good can result even though
the consumer receives pure foods and
pure drugs when the nucleus CHE
mouth) is neglected, The mouth of
fers a favorable pabul1m for the prO-
mul cation of pathogeniC germs, and
should therefore receive the most
careful attention. It is here that food
is first prepared by masticatiOn for
the action of the digestive organs.
Just what defective teeth and un-
clean mouths mean to a community
financially may be gathered from the
fact established by Investigators,
that it requires such children at least
six months longer to complete the
eight common school grades than it
does those without detective teeth.
Statistics prove that 95 per cent Of
school children between the ages Of
six and twelve have defective teeth.
Particularly at these ages the decid-
uOus molars are decayed or are lOOS-
ening- affOrdiug most favorable
pabulum for mIcrO-orgaUis ms. The
teeth being sore makes masticatiOn
difficult, and the child acquires the
life-Igng habit of food hnlting with
the train of evils incideHg TO malnu-
triton and retarded Development.
These children have an anemic APP
pearance, their tongues are coated
and breath fetid- and a general air of
inactivity prevails. The family ply
sician so often prescribes calOmel in
stead of sendin the chila TO the Gaan--
fist and having the real cause re-
moved.
Pyorrnoea afveolaris opus III the
alvsoIa socket. commonly called
Riggs disease, scurvy, lUOse teeth, is
by far the most prolific source OF pus
formation in the mouth found In the
adult This disease not only cripples
the masticatOry function, but liter
ally poisons every mouthful Of food
that is eaten. There is no digestive
ferment or intestinala stimulant that
aan counterfeit the slow form of tox-
enia that sooner or later results. No
one can enjoy health so long as this
condition remains. If the dentist
cannot check the disease and by pro-
phyIactic treatment hold il in check
by all means have the teeth removed.
When people thoroughly under
stand the laws Of oral hygiene then
and not till thea will our national
laws governing foods and drugs be
effective.
Dawson, Ga. April IA, 1912.