The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1916-09-28
RIGGS DISEASE AND VITALITY

alent human disease, carries, or tooth
decay. comes one very closely asso-
ciated with il, known in dental liter
AZURE as periodontitis, better known as
pyorrhoea alveolorais, or Riggs dis
ease This disease. characterized by
a more or less general infection OF
the membranes within the tooth sock
ct. is indicated by slight tenderness
during mastication, looseness of the
teeth and pulp constituencies. or even
pain on the ingestion of hot or cold
drinks because OF the exposure of the
cementum, the external shell of the
root. The gum is swollen and soft,
the tooth may be raised In it's socket.
and pressure brings relief. There Is
a discharge OF pus from between the
tooth and gum on pressure, the teeth
become loose. and, in course of time
as the disease progresses and the al
veolar process (the tooth socket) is
destroyed. they fall out.
Efficient mastication is, OF course,
impossible; hence not only is food
bolted partly chewed and more or less
mixed with pus, but the tissues in
exercise necessary to give them an
adequate blood supply and they are
thereby rendered less resistant to at
tack. Tooth after tooth is involved
and there Is established another OF
those numerous vicious cycles that
continually operate TO drag US down.
AS In so many diseases there is a
great diversity of opinion as to its
cause. IL sometimes follows severe
fever and many consider it the result
OF low vitality and feeble circulation,
the result OF a equity diathesis (phy-
steal habit). or of chronic rheumatism;
but the majority opinion appears 10
be that the immediate cause of the
disease is the accumulation OF irritant
material in the pocket around the
tooth.
. The general bacteriology OF the dis
ease is by no means confined to one
group OF organisms. and so far as Is
known no specific micro-organism has
mococcus. staphlycoccus and others
OF the bacillary type predominant.
Pyorrhoea IL not a new disease: It
was recognized by the early investi-
gators. but IL has become more prev
alent during the last so years and 1t Is
the rule rather than the exception to
find patients with more or less perio-
dontitis- The disease is not confined
TO man. but is also extremely preva-
lent among domestic animals.
A class OF serious disorders has long
been known In which failure OF nu-
triton could be named as the imme-
date antecedent In the case and in
which IL has vaguely been assumed
that the diet must be at fault Prob
ably the most generally familiar Of
these diseases Is scurvy.
Victims of scurvy suffer from severe
physical exhaustion. soreness of the
gums and looseness OF the teeth, and.
of course, this opens the way to bacte-
rial invasion and periodontitis. When
we note that. as all observers agree
improvement or intensifcation OF the
mouth diseases synchronizes with the
rise and fall OF general health In the
individual, 1t is reasonable to suspect
that the disease is not a strictly local
infection resulting from local irrita
ton or injury. 1t does not come from
sand or from soft food accommodating
about the teeth; II comes as the re
suit Of lowered vitality from the lacl
of those organic compounds other thar
the proteins which Casimir Funk anG
other Investigators prove to be pres
emit In fresh vegetables and In lime
and other juices. small quantities Of
which are absolutely essential to nor
| NAL growth and continued health Ths
name given these compounds by Funl
Is well chosen In view of it's roo
| meaning: vitamines. An anime" Il
q heterogeneous compound of q certain
type. and a vitamine il obviously sucl
q heterogeneous compound absolutel,
| necessary TO vitality.
The principles OF evolution are uni
versal and constantly at work. ever
In the minds of men. and We are slow
| " evolving out OF the old idea o
cause" and cure" The investiga
ticns of Soddy in the chemistry Of tn
radio-elements. OF Twort. Penfold
Nine. Henri and others in the muta
tons of bacteria. make 1t quite clea
that II medicine ever takes a plac
among the sciences IL can come onl
as the result of a general habit o
mind such as is found In the advance
sciences.
We know. for example. that sur
beams are the ultimate cause Of tn
revolving Of windmill. but no ma
can state the origin of the particula
pun of air that causes q wheel to n
volve at certain speed at q certai
time. Neither II II possible to pu
ones finger on the exact point .
which we enter or leave the vital cul
rent Of life. The wise man takes n
chances and simply sticks close
nature. This means eating s1mpl'
J properly prepared. unprocessed TODD