104 TOBACCO. 



remedies more cleanly and wholesome.*' Br. B. 

 names a case where smoking prevented toothache, 

 but irives the smoker's remark that the effect was 

 bad, as it stupefied the nerve, thus giving him no 

 warning of danger, the breaking of the teeth being 

 his first knowledge of trouble. Dr. B. adds, " To 

 my mind, the disadvantages greatly overwhelm 

 the advantages." 



Dr. Lillebrown, of Boston : " Tobacco chewing, 

 by causing a free flow of saliva, washes the teeth. 

 But no benefit can even secondarily compensate 

 for the uncleanness of the habit." 



Dr. J. Foster Flagg, of Philadelphia : M Indirect- 

 ly tobacco is, I think, advantageous to the teeth in 

 cases of rapid decay, especially when complicated 

 with pulpsensitivity. But the disadvantages in- 

 separably associated with its use, are of such mag- 

 nitude as to make with me, the advice or even 

 permission to employ it, a matter of grave moment 

 and intense reluctance." 



Dr. Chandler, of the Dental Department in 

 Harvard University : " I am no believer in the 

 preservative qualities of tobacco upon the teeth. 

 On the contrary, in so far as the use of it injures 

 the health, and thereby vitiates the oral secretions, 

 it must be directly injurious. There is no doubt, 

 however, that smoking in excess, and perhaps also 

 chewing, blunts the sensitiveness of the teeth both 

 directly and indirectly, by its stupefying proper- 

 ties, so that they can be worked upon with less 

 pain ; but I consider this no compensation for the 



