Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1914-12-11
(Copyrisht. 1914. b. A. s. Cr,y)
PERSONAL RESISTANCE TO De
CAY.

Whether the reaction Of the saliva ID
acid or alkaline has been under dis
cHssion for a century. and men still
difer so widely and so many authori
ties may be found on either side that
the subject 10 involved in confusion
Without doubt the truth is that the
saliva Is very feebly alkaline and
readily changes either to acid or al
kaline with the establishment of va
rious constitutional conditions. No
two individuals can possibly be exact.
ly alike and the constitution of the
mouth secretions must vary according
to time. place and the predominance OF
one or more Of the forms of the many
species Of micro-organisms known ia
be found in the mouth; also 1t must
vary In accordance with the individual
state Of health and mind. so that q
physiological saliva, with the biochem-
ical elements in state Of equilibrium.
IL probably very rare.
II confusion exists concerning 90
comparatively simple . matter as the
reaction Of the saliva. 1t Is reasonable
to expect difference Of opinion In re-
gard to so worldwide and vague q dis
ease a. carries, or tooth decay, and its
numerous allied conditions. Because
they are so very closely identified the
same general confusion exists with
reference to the subject of decay of
the teeth as pertains to the reaction Of
the saliva. Hence. one authority finds
carries due to acidity and another to
ekalinity: another declares 1t to be
caused by the absence Of q certain
element. and still another finds It 10
caused BY the presence Of that same
element. v.
When the teeth Of children are seen
to be decaying badly the general inter-
probation is that they are soft and
poorly calcifled. II. on the other hand,
the children happen to grow up to ma
turity without developing decay Of the
teeth the Interpretation IL that the
teeth are hard and firm and therefore
resist decay. Then It has been gen.
orally observed that during pregnancy
and lactation the teeth of women suf-
Ter more from carries than during other
periods. and this has been 90 universal
an experience that It gave birth to an
old saying: "A tooth for every child"
1t IL generally held that the teeth
Of the mother are robbed Of the cal.
cium salts to build up the bones of
the unborn infant, but this Is one of
those half truths that are 90 confus.
ing and misleading.
Carries il essentially q disease of
childhood. and childhood has epigram.
mstically and most truly been desis-
mated ~ AN extra hazardous occu.
patton" Child bearing is an extra
hazardous occupation. too; and 20.
measured by its mortality. IL modern
business hazardous. We have already
noted that typhoid and other fevers
frequently and quickly destroy teeth.
and 30 does excessive physical work.
1t IL only within the last few years
with the dawning UNDERSTANDING OF
the action Of cAtalyzers, the engines.
and the ductless glands Of our bodies.
and more especially since Funks dem.
onstration Of the vitamines and their
influence on the hormones of the duct.
less glands-the governors of our bod.
ies-that the matter begins to clear
We begin to suspect that II IA NOT
solely the abstraction of the phosphor.
rs. the calcium, the magnesium. the
carbon. the iron and the fiuorine from
our food that is the cause of the
universal prevalence Of tooth and gem.
eral physical decay. We begin tn
suspect that the loss of that mart OF
the eternal energy by which those ele-
ments are normally welded into and
held In the plants, our ultimate source
OF life. precipitates these troubles
upon IN. We know that animals can
be starved on physiological combina.
tons" Of che pure salts of these ele.
ments. and we know that they thrive
on the natural constituents Of the
same elements.
With the single exception of the
tides, the movements of which ara
connected with the moon. and the ro-
tation OF the earth on its axis eyery
motion on this earth from the beat.
Ing Of every individual heart to the
turning Of every windmill may be
traced back to one ultimate cause
. sunbeam-and every form Of life IL
Q component part Of a cycle continu-
ally transforming. by means of the
dynamic into potential
and potential back into dynamic en-
ergy. So far as We know man ID
the only species with sufficient pre-
sumption to break the cycle, and the