Evening star., 1918-08-28
TEETH and fONSILS.
BY II. ADDINGToN BRUCE
Copyright, 1881

More and more our medical men
are finding reason to emphasize the
s;pnificance of mouth hygiene as an
aid in keeping well. Continually they
are reporting instances OF serious
disease definitely due to unhealthy
conditions in the mouth
Particularly suggestive is a group
of cases recently recorded IN the
Journal of the American Medical As
sociation by Dr.. H S. Ward of Bir-
mingham, Ala
In one of these a small boy Of nine
came to DR.. Wards Office on crutches.
He had been attacked by some dis
ease which suddenly afflicted him
with a condition Of partial paralysis.
The diagnosis of chorea was made
and search of causes followed
The boys tonsils were found TO pc
ynuch diseased. Their removal and
rest in bed proved to be all that was
needed to overcome the paralysis
Another chorea paCient, girl OF
seventeen. presented herself to DR..
Ward. In this instance the tonsils
could not be blamed, for they had
been removed several years before
Her teeth. however, were in bad
state. Many of them were irregular.
and the disease known as pyorrhea
was plainly present Again rest in
bed was prescribed. together with ap-
propria;e dental treatment. Again
there was a prompt disappearance of
the chorea-
A woman of sixty-two having suf-
fered from rheumatism for years. de-
yeloped acutely painful heart attacks.
Her death was regarded as imminent
until she was found to have diseased
tonsils and abscessed teeth.
These foci of infection were re
moved, the heart attacks ceased. and
she became once more an active.
useful woman.
In another case a man. forty-five
years old, had chronic rheumatism.
diffuse bronchitis and asthmatic
breathing. On account Of his diff
Guilty in breathing he could not lie
down. l-.
Pyorrhea and abscessed teeth were
found in his mouth. Extraction of
the teeth, treatment of the affected
gums and two weeks at the seashores
sufficed for a complete recovery. ="
Again, DR.. Ward reports:
%. a man aged sixty-six. who
was in the insurance business, had q
well defined arrhythmia. The heart
sounds were almost lnaudible and the
blood pressure was low.
He experienced dyspnea on the
slightest exertion and his liver was
enlarged. His spirits were markedly
depressed. -
He was found to have five ab-
scessed teeth, which were removed at
two sittings. He has greatly inn
proved and the normal heart condi-
tion has been completely restored.
1t would be absurd, of course, to
infer from the foregoing that dis
eased conditions in the mouth are
always the cause of chorea, rheuma-s
tism, heart attacks. asthmatic trou-
bles, etc. There are numerous other
causes which may bring these on.
The point is that when it is q
question of any of these diseases, the
possibility of mouth conditions being
responsible should not be overlooked.
No less important, the knowledge
that neglected mouths may lead to
serious systemic diseases should Inn
press on all the great desirability of
regular care of the teeth and mouth
as hygienic precaution. --z.f
Always it is the part of wisdom TO
play safe in the matters of heaItho
If unclean mouths may mean sickness,
and suffering, for that reason alone
cleanliness of the mouth should be
the universal rule.