242 TLLINOIS STATE ACADEMY OF SCIENCE 



of crops to prevent slow or bad growth, smuts, disease and 

 failures, and the best of seed is needed. Is that sufficient 

 even in good weather conditions? No. Cultivation plays 

 one of the biggest parts, in dry seasons, and at all times. 

 Just so in the matter of health, dentistry and medicine. 

 If these were taken care of, we would have fewer feeble- 

 minded people and morons, and fewer cases of insanity, tub- 

 erculosis and cancer. Where there are badly developed 

 jaws and arches, we also note an increase in asthma, tuber- 

 culosis, ear troubles and deafness, a lowered mentality and 

 lessened resistance to disease, to courage, to development, 

 physical or mental, and backwardness in growth and char- 

 acter of bone. Needless to say, such a youth grows up weak 

 in character and yields to temptation, maybe alcoholism, the 

 forerunner in many cases of tuberculosis and cancer. The 

 irritability and nervousness create a craving or desire for 

 stimulants of some sort. Smoking is common and easily 

 induces the weakened mucous membrane to disease, and 

 the air spaces and eyes are involved. Very soon the di- 

 gestive tract is injured. How far reaching these seemingly 

 remote symptoms may be, those working in co-operation, 

 like the dentist and rhinologist, the oral surgeon or stomato- 

 logist and the physician know. 



Why do parents shrink from having their defective 

 children examined early, and worse, delay treatments 

 or operations? Take the child's side of the ques- 

 tion and ask anyone who has a cleft palate, or hair 

 lip, or injury on the face, how he feels! They all 

 wish something had been done to give them a clean or com- 

 fortable plastic operation, and it is no kindness, neither is 

 it aiding their health or minds, to neglect your duty. If you 

 fear, stop and reason a moment — put yourself in the others' 

 place — would you like to be the injured party? What right 

 have you to do things that injure and give your child such 

 a life of misery and inheritance? They are innocent of 

 their birth and you should do all in your power to give 

 them as perfect health and body as it is possible. Life is a 

 hard struggle at the best and you should help, not injure. 

 If misfortune comes, at least get the men or women most 

 fitted for the purpose to help you to remedy it as early as 

 possible. 



