Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-04-04
T REE DENTAL
OISPENSARY
IS DISCUSSED.
Committees Representing
Three Organizations
Hold Conference
BOSTON FIRST CITY
TO GIVE SERVICE

Burlington Nearest Iowa
City to Ottu1nwa Using
Plan; Need $500
Committees representing the Asao.S
ciated Charities, the Commercial. club
and the dentists Of Ottumwa, met at
the c. s. Harper home, 311 North
Marion, Sunday evening to consider
the feasibility Of plan for estahtsA.
ing free dental dispensary for the
children of the city.
DR.. w. G. Boone, representing ~
dentists, explained tho propositicn.5
Statistics, he said, based on exhaustive
Investigations, indicated that many ill.,
grow out Of neglect In the care q th0s
teeth. Rheumatism, heart leoions. thu
various forms Of neuritis, various focal
infections, kidney troubles impatyIno1t|
of digestion, and even appendicitis go
all traceable to a greater or lesser oos3
gree to faults Of the teeth.
The III effects Of bad teeth are not
either, said the doctor. It has been 49,
cepted as fact that children WITH -
teeth, require six months more time
to complete the eighth grade schooaa
course, than do the children with
sound teeth And moreover, those who
are entirely free from dental troubleSs
are very much in the minority for sur
veys at Boston and at Minneapolis
have shown that ninety-eight Per cent
OF the children had dental faults that
should be corrected.
The First DIspensary.
Two brothers in Boston were the
first to see that something should bel
done to remedy conditions and being
wealthy, they established million
dollar dispensary in Boston and aris
giving free service to all children who
will make use of it. Various cities irs
tho United States now have free dis
pensaries. Burlington is probably the
nearest city in this locality with free
dispensary and 1t is reported to be d0sB
ing good service. The money for It waAS
raised by subscription.
Having shown the need for dir
pensary DR.. Boone then explained tho
proposition which has been made hyz
the local dentists. Ten OF them have
already promised to devote half a dayS
week in turn to the dispenSaryg
when 1t is established They will give
their services free OF charge. All thatss
they require are quarters for the dir
pcnsary, the equipment that will III
necessary and the supplies.
The school board has provided IA
room in the Adams school buildinea
The matter Of supplies is not S1vinGa
much concern for 1t Is estimated tha1s
500 year will cover this detail.
Need Money for Equipment.
1t is the equipping OF the dispensary
that Is receiving the attention OF the
joint committees. About $500 Will ~
needed for this purpose and the msets
ing OF Sunday evening was to discuss
ways and means for raising thisS
amount.
Confidence was expressed that 90
amount would be forthcoming whom
the desirability OF the project WaGs
fully explained to those whom Il io5
money.
How Il VIII Work.
If the dispensary becomes . reality
IL Will pTOVlOc WY WuCT0Uy OVvIHS
child in the city can secure neede1s
dental service free Of charge. The
school nurse and other soctal wor1DA
ers will be empowered to Designate
the ones who seem to be In need OIL
attention and they will be given cards
admitting them to the benefits Of tho
dispensary One Of the dentists Win
be at the dispensary some one afteysS
noon each week, according to agree
ment, and at that time the childrelS
will present themselves for examinass
tion and for such work as is found
necessary. Ise
The committees having the matter
in charge, all Of which were well rem
resented at Sunday evenings meet
ing. are as follows s% sss
Associated Charities-M C. 81
Harper. chairman; Mrs. w. G. BoonosSS
MIS-. G. F. Rauscher and Mrs. Tom
Pallister. SS
Commercial club-F A. NimockasS
chairman; G. F. Rauscher, L H. Mar
tin, Laurence Garner, F. A. TisdAloS
end r. D. MacManus.
Ottumwa dentists-C. M. Work.
chairman; J. N.,Armstrong and W. Q
Boone. ID