412 Our Surroundings 



organs of the body where they cause rheumatism and other serious 

 forms of disease. 



Decayed places in the teeth should be filled by a dentist as soon 

 as discovered. Tartar should not be allowed to gather on the 

 teeth, as it is likely to injure the enamel and the gums, thus 

 enabling germs of disease to infect both the teeth and the tissues. 

 There should be regular visits, at least twice a year, to the dentist 

 to have the teeth examined and cared for. Teeth should be 

 brushed after each meal and before retiring. Particles of food 

 should be removed with dental floss, and the mouth should be 

 rinsed daily with an alkaline solution, such as common baking 

 soda. 



In childhood and early youth the teeth should receive expert 

 attention. Many states, recognizing this fact, now provide free 

 dental inspection for the pupils of their public schools, and some 

 have school dental dispensaries in operation. 



Excretion of Waste Matter. The importance of the final 

 act of digestion, the excretion of waste matter from the intestines, 

 cannot be over-emphasized. The retention of this waste is a great 

 menace to health as it contains the poisons resulting from the 

 decomposition of undigested food and from the material thrown 

 off by the liver and other glands into the intestines. When not 

 gotten rid of, these poisons are taken into the blood, circulated 

 through the body and absorbed by the cells of the tissues, causing 

 headache, loss of appetite, indigestion and other disorders. 



Constipation. The lack of adequate movement of the bowels 

 is called constipation. It may result from a number of causes, 

 among which are improper diet, failure to drink enough water, 

 insufficient exercise, improper posture in sitting and irregular 

 habits. The best way to cure constipation is to remove the cause. 

 A diet made up largely of coarse foods, such as corn bread, fruits 

 and various kinds of green vegetables, helps to bring relief. They 

 contain considerable woody material, or cellulose, which, by its 

 bulk, aids in stimulating the peristaltic movement of the digestive 

 tube. Relief may often result from increasing the daily quantity of 

 water taken. The belief, formerly popular, that water should not 

 be taken with the meals no longer prevails. According to recent 



