Evening star., 1952-07-24
Experts Testify
To Benefits Of
|F|uoridation
No Harmful Effects,
D. c. Advisory Council
Group Is Told

A number of professional ex-
perts last night fatty disputed
claims that the recent fuoridation
of the Districts water supply will
be 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 fluoridated 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 fiuoridation and
give them to the people IN an
unbiased way.
Report Due August !.
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 its conclusions to the city
heads.
DR.. A. Harry Ostrow, chairman
i of the Bureau of Dental Services
of the District Health Department.
reviewed the whole subject OF
fuoridation.
CIV. 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 f1uoridated
water has no harmful effect on
sufferers from cancer or renal dis
ease and has no tendency to make
person more susceptible to bone
fractures.
Baltimore Experience Cited.
w. ]. Smith, a member Of the
council. agreed with the others
that he could see no harmful ef-
fects from fiuoridation. His re-
marks prompted DR.. Ostrow to
Tread a report on Baltimore and
certain other Maryland areas that
use fiuoridated water. It stated
THAT scientists could not find any
ldeleterious effects on human be-
! lings who drank such water, and
/ that this applied to all age groups.
2 including elderly persons.
Science, DR.. Ostrow added, could
find no substantiation for believing
that fiuoridated 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
l Dentistry, declared that cavities
are not caused by a deficiency OF
L Ifluoride, but that f1uoride makes
the teeth more resistant tot decay.
j According to DR.. Russell A.
Dixon, dean of Howard Univer-
sity College of Dentistry, a 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 Consulant Testiffes.
j Another who testified was DR..
Frank E. Law, regional dental
consultant to the United States
Public Health Service. He pointed
out that there Is 80 per cent less
misalignment and malformation
of teeth in fluoride areas and
that teeth remained longer than
their normal periods.
i 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
ldorses fluoridation 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 fluor-
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
'iDivision of Dental Public Health.
USPHS, said 400 communities. Of
!, which Washington is one of the
latest, now are artificially apply
= ing fiuorine to their water, with
service to 4 million persons. He
! added that 80 million persons in
the country now use water con-
tanning either artificially applied,
! or natural fluorine.