116 NATURE STUDY REVIEW [8 :3— Mar, 1912 



the case of the child there is a general retardation and stunting 

 of growth and development. 



Through a general lowering of vitality contagious diseases, 

 the bane of childhood, find it easier to lay hold of their little 

 victims. The cavity of a tooth is a veritable stronghold to the 

 germs producing the contagious disease. There they can remain 

 at ease waiting for a favorable moment to seize upon their vic- 

 tims. Thence, also, they sally forth invading the bodies of other 

 children, making use of their hosts to carry them from one to 

 another, thus turning them into what is known as "Carriers." 

 These "Carriers" — children who are not themselves clinically 

 sick but harbor the germs in their throats — are frequently the 

 cause of epidemic outbreaks of contagious diseases. 



The respiratory function suffers serious impairment if the 

 teeth are allowed to become diseased and to fall out in early life, 

 thus interfering with the proper development of the bony roof 

 of the mouth which forms the floor .of the nasal breathing spaces 

 above. The nose thus becoming narrowed and obstructed, mouth 

 breathing is resorted to and the air taken in, besides not being 

 properly warmed and filtered by the nose is further contaminated 

 by the foul exhalation of the diseased mouth. This in turn im- 

 poverishes the quality of blood which then offers lessened re- 

 sistance to the various disease processes, and thus a vicious circle 

 is established. 



The nervous system suffers immensely through the diseased 

 and decayed teeth. When Johnny stays home with the toothache, 

 it is more than a proverbial joke. It is not only a painful and 

 frequent experience for the child, but a bitter accusation against 

 those who have the welfare of the child in their keeping. Of all 

 the nerves of the body those supplying the teeth are the most 

 sensitive to pain, hence nature has provided them with a solid, 

 hard covering for their protection. When we allow uncleanli- 

 ness and decay to bore a hole through nature's covering we lay 

 the nerves bare to painful shocks and expose the child to untold 

 suffering and most injurious nervous drain. There is a striking 

 parallelism between the physical, mental and moral backwardness 

 and bad oral conditions. Defective teeth keep children from 

 school and from work; they make truants and laggards of them. 

 The pain and irritation, the disturbed digestion, the hindered res- 

 piration, throw the entire organism out of gear, resulting in an 

 unnatural and irritating state of body and mind — a fertile soil 

 for backwardness, delinquency, perversion, abnormal cravings 

 and crime. 



