Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-01-14

NEW YORK CITY. Jan. ID
Every few years or so a new theory
dawns gloriously like a new star
upon the medical horizon. Some
times it is q constructive theory,
such as that which claims that II
we only consume enough Vltamlnes
health is ours, but more often than
not it Is a destructive theory which
attacks some obscure and apparent
w unimportant portion of the hui
man anatomy as being responsible
for all the physical ills of the race.
Thus, a hundred years ago, an
excess supply of blood was supposed
to be the aus of all complaints,
and the way to cure anything and
everything was by the bleeding pro-
cess. In more recent times, thera-
peutical fashions have changed with
greater rapidity and the role of an
atomical arch villain has shifted
from the appendix to the tonsils and
from the tonsils to the teeth. Now
it looks as if it might be enthusiast
tically passed on to the ductless
gla nds, but for the present 1t is still
securely in the possession of the
teeth.
1t would be interesting to know
how many million teeth have been
sacrificed during the past few years
and why. but unfortunately no COM
plete statistics are available. Per-
sonally, nearly everyone of our ac-
quaintance has contributed at least
che strong, full-grown 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 focal infection was still
90 ~, no rotiyalv new we III mpnDe
that we were greatly impressed by
the enthusiasm of a woman dentist
who had just discovered that her
sister had three or maybe four in
fected teeth, The girl had had a
long series of tubercular glands.
and here, Of course, vas the cause.
The guilty teeth were quickly pull
ed, the family breathed a sigh of
relief, and the girl gradually i'm
proved in weight and strength.
Here" thought everybody, sis liv-
ing proof of the new theorv" But
not long ago. we learned that the
young woman was again in a hospi-
tai suffering with another t%ubercular
gland.
Teeth and Nerves
In another case, a suburban resi-
dent affiliated with an over-abund-
ance Of leisure and Il nervous mai
ady had his teeth N-rayed, hoping
to find that an infected tooth was
the cause Of his disability. The rev
Citations of the X-ray were most sat
isfactory. They not only showed
that he had an infected tooth, but
that it was a tooth with Maynard
tendencies that had grown upward
instead of downward in its extreme
youth and was o lodged behind
his nose. He remembered, he told
the dentist, that the tooth had neve.
appeared when it was expected and
that after a few years of patient
waiting he had acquired a pivot
tooth as a substitute. He immedt-
the offending organ was removed,
after which, he was assured. his
extreme nervousness would disap-
pear. But it didn't, and now he Is
suspicious of all medical theories
When it was suggested that he try
psychoanalysis, he replied bitterly
that he was Through experimenting
with bunk"
The majority of laymen, includ'
ing probably eve this disappointed
hypochondriac, r able to see the
| danger of focal infection. of course
and are only too anxious to have il
removed. But they are losing thei1
faith in tooth-pulling as a panace;
for all affections, from epilepsy t.
tonsilitiS.
Among the various ailments attri
buted to infection in the canals o
around the roots of the teeth, which
the X-ray alone can reveal. ar
tuberculosis, diseases of the kid
neys. rheumatism, partial blindness
partial deafness, neuritis, epilepsy
sciatica. persistent headache. gener
al lassitude, insanity, some forms o
heart disease, such as endocarditis
which is inflaSnmation of the mem
brane lining the heart, and bloc
clots, which may plug the interio
of blood vessels, causing paralysi
and DEATH
A Cause of Insanity?
The connection between defectiv
teeth and heart disease has been de
finitely proved to the satisfaction c
the Society for the Prevention c
Heart Disease: while a New Jerse
alienist of note has succeeded
convincing the profession that cer
tain types of insanity are undoubt
eddy caused by, bacterial infection
the intestines. introduced throug
defective teeth. Moreover, it J
claimed hat victims of insanity j
considerable numbers have bee
cured by proper attention to decay
ed oil the removal of misplace
teeth"