Evening star., 1921-12-04


~ human race? Evidence from
many sources strongly lndi-
Gates that We are. The disintegra-
tion and decay of the teeth OF the
people are keeping pace with, ana III
proportionate degree follow, the early
and unnecessary aging and decline ol
the average human body. Diseases OF
the teeth and gums. such as pyorrhea'
rinsiyitis, assesses and general de-
cay, are part of the price we are pay
ing for being overcivilized ana LOT
wandering afar from the natural or
der of things.
widespread Deterioration of Teeth.
The wasting away of the teeth mas
become so general and widespread
that it is looked upon by the average
person as unavoidable. if not quite
the natural thing How many people
out of a hundred have sound. healthy
teeth and gums? Possibly two or
three How many have had abscessed
teeth, and how many of these have
had several or all of their teeth eN-
tracted, many of them sound teeth'
too in futile attempt to cure
pyorrhea, rheumatism and many other
stubborn chronic conditions within
the body? 1t would be interesting to
fine a case where more than local and
temporary relief had resulted from
such indiscriminate pulling of good or
bad teeth upon the erroneous assump-
tion that the cause of pyorrhea. rheu-
matsm, etc. was being removed we
must look for deeper and more under
lying causes if such symptoms are to
be removed or their appearance and
development prevented. Right here 1t
should be remarked that it is impera-
tive that scrupulous care of the teeth
be taken through oral hygiene ana
visits every six months or o1tener 10
the best dentist that can be found.
These preventive and corrective meas
ures are necessary, but we must go
deeper First. let us look at some
Aetuni ana distressing conditions
bad Teeth Among Children:-A re-
cen, examination of 1854 children IN
New YORK city disclosed the startling
fact that only eleven of these pos
sessed normal teeth. Think of it.
Less than one in hundred. Similar
conditions exist in other cities, posi-
bly, to a slightly less degree. Start
ing life with such a handicap. what
will be the condition of their teeth.
not to mention their bodies. when
these children reach manhood and
womanhood? The physician making
these examinations reports that so
extensive and far. advanced were the
defects that corrective treatment.
even if applied. would have been OF
very little value"
Disgrace to Nation-'Sixteen mill
lion out of the 20.000.000 school chill
dren in the United States have physi-
cal defects which are actually or
iall latrimaOfa1 their
health" declares DR.. T. ID. Wood. pro-
fessor of education of the Teachers
College. Columbia University. New
York City. DR.. Wood further states
that .the business of keeping the
school children of this country in
good physical repair is. as now con-
Quoted. a disgrace to the nation. A
sensible and universal program of
physical education for all girls and
boys was never in the history of man
kind more profoundly essential than
just now.
Malnutrition Alarmingly Prevalent
Miss Julia b. Tappan. head of the
division of child health. United States
Bureau of Education. reports that offl-
cial statistics show that nearly 5.0OO,-
O0O school children of the nation, rich
and poor alike, suffer from malnutri-
tion. TT is safe to say declares
Miss Tappan. that intelligent care
and instruction in health habits would
speedily bring these children to a nor
NAL state in a very short time" She
thinks this distressing condition is
not only a serious menace to the
health of the next generation, but to
its mental fitness as well.
Relation Between Cause and Effect
We are told by one eminent author
ity, above quoted, that sixteen out
of twenty million children have seri-
Gus physical defects. and that the
scheme of keeping them in physical
health is a failure and disgrace to
the nation. Further, government
official who is charged with the wei
fare and health of the nations chill
dren tells us officially that nearly
five million children suffer from NAL
nutrition, while eight million others
are afflicted with serious organic or
functional disorders. Is it any Won
have decayed and defective teeth?
What is the underlying cause of such
extensive degeneration of the teeth
Are defective teeth the cause OF mai
nutrition and other diseases. or is
maInutrition. constipation and other
faulty elimination of poisons and
waste the cause of this almost uni
versal rotting away of the teeth, not
only of the children. but OF older
people? Even a child could readily
distinguish between cause and erect
in such a case. Plainly enough. the
fundamental causes of defective teeth
in children apply with equal reason
and force to the "grown-ups.' The
children of today will be the men and
women of tomorrow. upon whom VIII
fall the great burdens of our social,
economic, industrial and political life.
is it not worth while to look even
deeper into the basic causes of this
national peril?
Fundamental Causes Explained
The five fundamental causes are: C)
Wrong food combinations. resulting in
an Improper chemical balance within
the body Cmalnutrition); (2) devital-
ized, deminera1ized, commerciallZed
and denatured foods: go the action
of corrosive substances from within
and without: (D the softness of food
materials and their excessive heat and
coldness; (5) hereditary and congenl-
tai influences. Unnatural food COM
binations, where there is an excess
Of meat, starches, white bread, re-
fined sugar and it's products, including
candy and other sweets. conee ana
tea, produce excessive amounts OF
tea, produce excessive amounts OF uric
and other body acids. ptomaines and va
rious destructive states within the body
which corrode and tear down the outer
enamel covering and internal dentne
structure of the teeth. These ACIDS
and negative substances, through
their chemical affinity. leech the basic
minerals from the bones and tissues
of the human body, thus causing de-
terioration and decay not only of the
teeth but of the entire body struc-
fnre. The sturdy Scotch Of former
wears owed their tall. 1arge-boned
bodies and splendid teeth to the