192 
Hygiene  of  the  Teeth. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
April,  1898. 
teeth  to  those  who  otherwise  would  not  have  them,  so  that  people 
can  continue  to  masticate  their  food  for  a  very  much  longer  time 
than  before."  He  gives  a  striking  illustration  of  the  value  of  masti- 
cation as  follows  :  "I  had  an  old  pony  which  was  beginning  to 
show  signs  of  decay,  due,  I  thought,  to  old  age.  The  stableman 
noticed  that  the  oats  were  passed  undigested  through  the  pony, 
and  he  proposed  that  his  food  in  future  should  be  ground  and  made 
into  a  mash.  This  was  done,  and  the  pony  at  once  became  ten  years 
younger  and  went  on  perfectly  without  further  indication  of  age."  The 
proper  mastication  of  the  food  is  one  of  the  most  important  links  in 
the  chain  of  digestion  ;  the  lack  of  it  one  of  the  most  fruitful  causes 
of  indigestion.  Sir  Andrew  Clark  made  his  patients  count  their 
bites.  "  The  rule  is,  the  mouth  contains  thirty-two  teeth,  so  that 
to  every  mouthful  of  animal  food  you  must  give  thirty-two  bites  in 
order  that  every  tooth  shall  have  a  chance.  If  the  food  is  at  all 
tough,  you  must  double  the  number  and  count  sixty-four." 
The  proper  development  of  the  teeth  in  the  young  depends  upon 
their  receiving  the  proper  food.  This  for  infants  is,  of  course,  the 
mother's  milk,  which  contains  all  of  the  salines  necessary,  providing 
the  mother  is  herself  properly  fed.  This  is  not  always  the  case, 
and  the  drain  of  earthy  phosphates  may  be  so  great  in  the  pregnant 
female  or  nursing  mother  that  she  may  complain  of  toothache  or  of 
her  teeth  dropping  away,  and  there  is  a  proverb  which  says  "  For 
every  child  a  tooth."  The  administration  of  the  syrup  of  calcium 
lacto-phosphate  would  be  of  great  value  in  such  cases.  Some  of 
our  poor  teeth  may  be  directly  chargeable  to  the  character  of  the 
flour,  which  by  fine  grinding  and  repeated  bolting  has  been  deprived 
of  much  of  its  gluten  and  phosphates,  and  consists  largely  of  fine 
starch.  Bread  of  Graham  flour  which  comprises  the  whole  grain 
would  be  more  healthful.  The  Scotch  have  shown  wisdom  in  stick- 
ing to  their  oatmeal. 
The  eruption  of  the  teeth  is  a  critical  period  in  the  life  of  many 
an  infant.  A  tooth  at  this  time  has  not  reached  its  full  develop- 
ment, the  fang  has  a  sharp  edge  which,  by  the  downward  pressure 
of  the  resisting  gum,  presses  the  nerve  against  the  bony  process  of 
the  jaw-bone,  making  the  pain  suffered  by  these  little  ones  far 
greater  than  is  ordinarily  supposed.  Lancing  the  gums  will  often 
give  instant  relief,  and  is  attended  with  little  or  no  danger,  provided 
the  incision  be  directly  down  upon  the  tooth.    The  child  suffers 
