Evening star., 1952-07-24

BRIAN HUDSON.
DC. AdvisoryCounci
Unit Hears Experts on
FIuoridation Benefits
A number of professional ex-
perts last night fatty disputed
claims that the recent f1uoridation
of the Districts water supply will
he harmful to human beings.
On the contrary, they said, it
will be highly beneficial.
The panel of doctors, dentists,
bacteriologists, biologists and
others, produced a sheaf of docu-
mentary evidence to support their
assertions. Much of the evidence
concerned findings based on the
use of f1uoridated water in other
cities.
The unanimous views of the ex-
perts dominated a meeting of the
special fiuoridation committee of
the new Citizens Advisory Coun-
Gil to the District Commissioners,
held in Municipal Center. The
purpose of the meeting, as out
lined by DR.. Edward c. Mazique,
head of the group. was to probe
all the facts on fluoridation and
give them to the people in an
unbiased way.
Report Due August Z.
Last week those against fluorida-
ton had an equal opportunity to
register their views. The commit
tee will report to the council on
August Z. The council later will
forward it's conclusions to the city
heads.
DR.. A. Harry Ostrow, chairman
of the Bureau of Dental Services
of the District Health Department,
reviewed the whole subject OF
huoridation.
C. v. Rault, dean of the George
town University School of Den
tistry, produced charts to discount
the idea that the dangerous kid
ney ailment, nephritis, can be
caused by fluoridated water.
DR.. Rault added that fluoridated
water has no harmful effect on
sufferers from cancer or renal dis
ease and has no tendency to make
a person more susceptible to bone
fractures.
Baltimore Experience Cited.
w. j. Smith, member Of the
council. agreed with the others
that he could see no harmful ef-
fects from fuoridation. His re-
marks prompted DR.. Ostrow to
read a report on Baltimore and
certain other Maryland areas that
use fluoridated water. 1t stated
that scientists could not find any
deleterious effects on human be-
ings who drank such water, and
that this applied to all age groups,
including elderly persons.
Science, DR.. Ostrow added, could
find no substantiation for believing
that huoridated water would hurt
persons suffering from rheumatism
or arthritis or any other disease.
DR.. Bernard K. Forscher. CO.
ordinator of research for the
Georgetown University School OF
Dentistry, declared that cavities
are not caused by a deficiency OF
fuoride, but that fluoride makes
the teeth more resistant tot decay.
According to DR.. Russell A.
Dixon, dean of Howard Univer-
sity College of Dentistry, 40 per
cent reduction in tooth decay can
be anticipated by using f1uoridated
water. He said this can become
very important, because there are
not enough dentists now to handle
the current case load, much less
the backlog of the public health
program.
USPHS COnsuIant TestifieS.
Another who testified was DR..
Frank E. Law, regional dental
consultant to the United States
Public Health Service. He pointed
out that there is 30 per cent less
misalignment and malformation
of teeth in fluoride areas and
that teeth remained longer than
their normal periods.
DR.. Allan B. Coleman, a pedia-
trician, who is vice chairman of
the public health committee of
the District Medical Society, tes-
titled that his organization in
dorses huoridation as good and
safe process.
DR.. Matthew Mitchell, a den
tist here, said he believes a con-
siderable reduction in dental
ailments will result from f1uor-
idation.
The cost Of the process in
Washington was estimated by DR..
Ostrow as about 100000 for the
first year and about 100000 a
year after that.
DR.. T. L. Hagan, chief of the
Division of Dental Public Health
USPHS, said 400 communities, OF
which Washington is one of the
latest, now are artif1cially apply
ing fiuorine to their water, with
service to 4 million persons. He
added that 80 million persons ir
the country now use water con-
tanning either artificially applied