Milford chronicle., 1920-04-16
TEETH AND HEALTH
By r. ALLEN GRIFFITH, D. D. S.
RHEUMATISM AID TEETH


Rheumatism is nearly always du
TO some focal infection.
Focal infection is a circumscribeC
localized area of infection, in which
appears pus-producing micro-organ
isms.
The teeth afford the most common
focus, but infected nasal passages
sinuses and tonsils may also be foci
The medical profession uses three
terms for rheumatism. They are %
arthritis, meaning Inflammation OF
the joints; % neuritis, meaning in
[ fiammation of the nerve, and (3) my
ositis. meaning Inflammation of the
muscle.
These terms are much more definite
than the vague term rheumatism.
How does arthritis, for instance,
start? Arthritis inflammation of
the joints must be caused by some
pus-producing micro-organisms lodg-
ing in the joint, depositing their pOis-
on, causing great pain and leaving
the person often with a stiff knee, for
instance, which may be stiff for life.
Neuritis starts in a nerve and myosi-
It's in a muscle in the same way.
Suppose We have a dead tooth with
q bAAAAA dboI1oo dl luG NAAu VI tue AOOl.
A blind abscess has no outlet. The
tooth never has caused and may new
er cause any pain. The pus, having
no outlet, is taken directly in the Cir
culatiOn, carried to some remote
joint, nerve or muscle that is a little
weak, has been bruised, strained or
had its resistance lowered in some
way.
Ii you have a swollen joint in your
system, pain in a muscle or pain in a
nerve it means, nearly always, that
you have some focus of infection. 1t
may come from the teeth, but teeth
should not be pulled indiscrimately
until it has been proven beyond a
doubt that it is necessary.
All other sources of infection should
be eliminated and the teeth X-rayed
before any extraction is done.
A thorough physical examination
should be made by physician, and if
he cannot do it, it should be done by
a laboratory or a specialist.
1t is very difficult today for any one
man to keep up with the methods of (
diagnosis for every part of the body I
When you think of the complexity of
the human system can you wonder T
that anyone but a specialist in some
particular line can accomplish any
thing. A case of rheumatism was re-
Gently treated in one of our hospitals.
First the tonsils were removed as a
possible source of infection without
relief.
Next, all the teeth were extracted
without relief. Finally the actual To-
Gus was located in the prostate, and
he patient was cured in a week after
he treatments were started. He had
suffered for three months, however,
and lost his teeth and tonsils thru
suesses. This could have been avoid
I'd by a thorough physical examina-
ion
Just another word about rheuma-
ism. The old idea in the treatment
If those afflicted with rheumatism,
hat no red meat should be given is a
allacy. The red-meat idea was dis
'arded some fifteen years ago, when
t was discovered that red meat, such
is beef and mutton, contained one
bird less of the uric acid basis than
'eal, chicken and other poultry.
1t has been proven that acid foods
10 not produce acid in the system, but,
n the contrary, are burned into aka
Is.
The red-meat idea is one of the fall
lcies that the public and many physi-
ians are still fondling in regard to
heumatism. Those suffering from
heumatism need red meat and all
ne rest of the things which go to
ourish the body. Diagnosis should
lclude thorough physical examina-
on, and, above all, X-rays of the
eeth. The fOci of infection should be
and plenty of nourishing
)od taken to build up the resistance.
About two quarts of water should
e drunk every day to flush out the
idneys, and plenty of fresh air should
e taken into the lungs to take care of
lie waste products from them. FL
ally, the mouth should be put in a
ygienic condition and kept so as a
rophylactic measure at least.