Milford chronicle., 1920-03-26
TEETH AND HEALTH
By r. ALLEN GRIFFITH, D. D. S.
TOOTH FOLKLORE

Folklore stretches from pole to pole
and touches upon almost everything
known to man.
Teeth and their troubles have al
ways attracted attention from the
time of Adam and have a folklore of
their own.
An old Roman cure for toothache
consisted in boiling several ants to-
gether with some earth from their
nest, and rinsing the mouth with the
water.
The Rumanians and other peoples
throw the lost baby teeth of their
children upon the roofs of their
houses, with an invitation to the crow
to kindly exchange the tooth for one
more beautiful.
The Moroccan women paint their
eyes black with antimony and stain
their lips and teeth with walnut root
on the eve Of the great feast. The
practice has a very involved religious
significance.
Some South African tribes provide
themselves with the claws, teeth and
whiskers of leOpards and lions when
travelling thru the country abounding
in these animals, to prevent them
selves from being attacked.
In India at the ArdhodOy festival,
which is held each year near Calcut-
ia. any teeth which may have fallen
out during the year are carefully pre-
served and solemnly flung into the
Ganges. The Spectacle of the SER
wants following their masters with
parcels of teeth may be seen each 1
year.
The natives believe this practice I
will insure immunity from tOOthache 4
and gum boils in the next world.
Another peculiar Indian custom was
the attestation of a deed by the i'm
preston of the authors tooth; this is
Of very ancient date, and is referred
to in the Legends of AsOka, B. c.
272-232 This same custom obtained
in England in AnglO-SaXon times.
In Jamaica it is believed to this day
that if the person who finds a baby's
first tooth does not give it a present
-he child's teeth will decay as soon as
hey come.
In Bernerva it is believed that the
aking of the first nail that has been
he corpse has been placed in the
,offin, will, if applied to a sore tooth,
cure the pain Immediately.
A tooth superstition formerly cur
'ent in Wakefield and Sheffield and in /
iome parts of Derbyshire, England,
vas the belief that one will have to (
ind all lost teeth at the day Of judg- ;
nent; but if, when a tooth is pulled, :
me will put salt on it and throw it
nto the fire and say,
Good tooth, bad tooth,
Pray God, send me a good tooth.
me will be excused from finding the
Doth on the judgment day.
Among farm hands of Lincolnshire
'arious charms of mother-of-pearl,
,rass buttons, with shanks, ETC., are
,arried or worn to prevent tooth
iche.
Some of the older English country
,eople still cling to the fashion OF
wearing horse teeth and miniature
or horseshoes on their
to prevent toothache.
A custom, possible of Indian origin,
consists of placing teeth in a dead
mans coffin, in the belief that the
nan would not be complete in the
lew life without the teeth.
Many native Indian tribes preserve
lail parings, hair, ETC., in order that
When the soul arises from the tomb it
will not have to search for what for
nerly belonged to it.
Many Indians believe that if the
eeth are Separated from each other
he person will be short lived.
In Jamaica, it is believed that open
eeth indicate lechery, or at least a
3scivious temperament.