The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1935-02-26
Trench Mouth

COMRADE P. P. writes: MY four
year-old girl complains Of dis
comfort in her mouth; the gum was
bleeding and so swollen that you
could hardly see her teeth; they
were full with pus. Her lips started
to swell and she had fever"
If we were to add another symp-
tom, offensive odor," then the dag
nosis would probably be acute Vim
cents infection (trench MOUTH.
The odor is very characteristic.
However, illnesses such as acute leu
kemia "a disease of the blood and
other diseases involving general
malnutrition, should be ruled out.
The term full with pus" UNI
doubleday describes the yellowish-
gray covering over the gum. This is
slough, or dead gum tissue which
has been destroyed by the germs
during the process of the disease.
Pus does not lie loose about the
mouth. If this slough were removed
and this can readily be done, a red
sensitive bleeding surface would be
exposed. Another coating would ac-
cumulate in a few hours.
Vincent's infection does not all
ways take on this acute form. 1t Is
quite prevalent in a chronic stage
when only slight pain and bleeding
is present and very little, if any,
swelling. In more advanced con-
ditions, the points of gum between
the teeth are destroyed, leaving a
blunt, fiat surface with space be-
tween the teeth where the pointed
gum was originally.
AS the more severe acute cases are
approached then the body as a
whole is affected, as we'll as the
mouth. The patient has fever Of
low grade, loss of appetite, head
ache, difficult swallowing, because
the throat is painful, nausea and
perhaps marked drooling.
But we do know the disease is
catching. A patient who has the
disease can give it to another who
may have kissed him or her or used
his dishes. People with unclean
mouths, ill-fitting crowns and fill
ings and who may be debilitated
from any cause, are more sus-
ceptible. Workers are generally
more liable to the disease because
of their poor living conditions, lack
of nourishing food and the inability
to secure adequate health inforrna-
ton.
The treatment for the milder
cases of Vincent's Infection is the
use by the patient at. home, Of one
level mot heaping) teaspoon OF
sodium perborate in glass of warm
water. The mouth is rinsed every
hour for q few days. The tooth
brush is not used until most of the
symptoms have subsidized. The old
toothbrush is to be discarded, other
wise the patient may be re-infected.
Avoid spicy foods and smoking The
accumulation Of tartar on the teeth
should be removed by the dentist
only after the disease is well under
control. If there is marked inn
provement after the first forty
eight hours with the use OF the
Sodium Perborate, then the patient
may rinse every two or three hours
for week. Then continue three
times a day for about six months
(thiS is very importantly.
In the more severe cases, the
patient should rinse the mouth
every half hour for two or three
days and then diminish gradually,
If there is fever, weakness and other
symptoms, the patient should be
placed in bed. Vincent's Infection
in its acute form is very serious
and dangerous disease.
The use of neoarsphenamin (sal-
varsan) by the dentist is extremely
valuable, provided it is properly ape
piled. This does not mean that
trench mouth has anything to do
with syphilis.
The patients dishes should be
boiled and other careful hygienic
precautions maintained. The dis
ease hangs on long time, but can
be completely cleared up with per-
sistent treatment.
We Have Date With You
IN MARCH s, DR.. Frankwood E.
" Williams will lecture under the
auspices of the Medical Advisory