Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-01-16


New York. Jan. 1%,--Evcry few
years or 10. a new theory dawns glorl-
uusly like new star upon the medichI
horizon Sometimes It 10 construc-
tive theory. such az that which Chains
that II we only consume enough VI
taminas. health ID ours. but more
often than not It II destructive |
theory which attacks some Obscure !
and apparently unimportant portion !
OF the human anatomy ~ being ree
sponsible for all the physical Ills OF
the race.
Thus, n hundred years ago. an ex-
cess supply OF blood was supposed
TO be tho cause Of all complaints. and
the way to cure anything and every
thing was by the bleeding PROCESS. In
more recent times, therApeutical fash
ions have changed with greater rapi-
dity and the role OF anatomical arch
villain has shifted from the appendix
to the tonsIls and from the tonsils 70
the teeth. Now II looks az II 1t might
be enthusia stically passed on 10 the
ductless glands, but for the present II
~ still securely In the possession OF
the teeth.
1t would be interesting to know how
many million teeth have been sacri-
feed during the past few years and
why, but unfortunately no complete
statistics are available. Personally,
nearly everyone Of our Acquaintance
has contributed at least one strong,
lfull-gr tooth to the cause OF health,
but we have yet to hear OF any swift
and miraculous cures. Three years
ago. When the theory OF local infec-
ton was still comparatively new, we
\ remember that we were greatly i'm
pressed by the enthusiasm OF q wo-
man dentist who had just discovered
that her sister had three or maybe
four infected teeth. The girl had a
long series OF tubercular glands, and
here, OF course, wss the cause. The
guilty teeth were quickly pulled. the
family breathed sigh Of relief, and
the girl gradually improved In weight
and strength. Here thought every
body is living proof OF the new
theory But, not long ago, we learn
ed that the young woman was again
in hospital. suffering with another
tubercular gland
Teeth and Nerves.
, In another case, suburban resi-
dent afflicted with an overabundancs
: OF leisure and a nervous nalady hat
, his teeth X-rayed. hoping to ind tina
, an infected tooth was the cause OF hi
, disability. The revelations OF the X
, ray were most satisfactory. They 70
, only showed that he had an infecte'
? tooth, but that IL WAS q tooth witt
, maynard tendencies that had grow
. upward instead OF downward in it
, extreme youth and was now lodge
. behind his nose. He remembered, h
, told the dentist, that the tooth ha
never appeared when II was expecte
and that after few years OF patier
waiting he had acquired a pivot toot
, as a substitute. He irnmediatel
: underwent an operation and the Of
Tending organ was removed, afte
which, he was assured, his 81
= treme nervousness would disappea
But 1t didn't. and now he is suspicion
: Of all medical theories. When 1t wa
suggested that he try pschoanalysi
:, he replied bitterly that he wa
through experimenting with bunk
The majority OF laymen, includin
probably even this disappointed hypc
. chondr4ac, are able to see the DANCE
q OF focal infection, OF course. and ar
II only too anxious TO have II removes
= But they are losing their faith
y tooth pulling a. a panaceA for all a,
! f.ict.ons. from epilepsy TO tonsiiitis.
Al Among the various ailments attr
o buted 20 infection in the canals {
% around the roots OF the teeth, whic
l. the X-ray alone can reveal, are It,
~ berculosis, diseases OF the kidney
~ rheumatism, partial blindness. partt
!. deafness. neuritis, epilepsy, sciatic
persistent headache. general Lass
10 tude. insanity, some forms OF hea
- disease. such as endocarditis, which
:. Inflammation OF the membrane linir
- the heart, and blood clots. which me
= plug the interior OF blood vessel
;, causing paralysis and death"
- A Cause OF insanity.
ae The connection between defecti'
OF teeth and heart disease has been de
g. nitely proved to the satisfaction
Id the Society for the Prevention
ID Heart Disease; while a New Jers
NJ alienist OF note has succeeded in CO
70 vincing the sprofession that certa
types OF insanity are undoubted
80 caused by bacterial infection in I
u intestines.- introduced through d
: fective teeth. Moreover, it is clail
ed that victims OF insanity In co
= siderable numbers have been cur
by proper attention to decayed or
40 removal OF misplaced teeth"
- III this seems preposterous TO
no layman," says one medical authori
70 ''let MIN bear in mind that the holl
70, in a tooth can easily harbor two /
nd lion (2.ooo. ooo, ooo-the figures {
ms more impressive) germs and that tn,
es may be so varieties of those in a s
e; sic decayed spot. All OF them {;
a awaiting favorable opportunity
get into the blood circulation,
means of which the particular kind
nd infection which they represent is c,
GU ried TO the tissues most suitable
IS the propagation of the germ and {
lat exploitation OF the malady"
to Colonel Roosevelt heads the list
ep Impressive fatalities attributed TO
cal infection. According TO the bul
tin issued at the time of his death.
"had been suffering from an ats
of rheumatism about two months.
progress had been, entirely satisf
tory and his condition had not gi,
cause for any special concern
VI The cause of death was an epbolr
L. An embolus, 1t seems, Is a clot
an blood which gets into the blood sire
and floats until 1t meets blood yes
la' whose caliber Is too small to per-
IN its passage. In Colonel Rooseve
dly case, according to his physician,