HEALTH COLUMN.

Otago Witness, Issue 2687, 13 September 1905, Page 68

HEALTH COLUMN.

The fndictment of the Tooth Brush.

Jii^t a? c'octois had succeeded in educate iijT people generally to tho us© of the tooth" brash, an American member of the fraternity has discovered what a mistake it all i-?, *and how much better everybody would ba if they had never known the use of it. Which is jusfc like doctors. 'The tooth brush, in my opinion," says Dr Paler, "is a potent factor in the causation of many ills, and I consider the matter of too great importance to be overlookscT. Ihe month, as is woll known, is teeming with microbes; if we examine a crop of srutum uadw the mioroscope it will bo found to be loaded with bacteria. Pne-u-mccocci aro frequently found in the sputum) of healthy people, and in addition there may be other pathogenic micro-organisms from various sources. The _ means of safeguarding against _ infection dy these micro-organisms is to keep the mucous membra ac intact; wberecver there is a breach of surface, howevor insignificant it may be, infection may tako place, especially if the system be in such a. state that the resisting power is lessened — suoh, for instance as extreme fatigue, Lunger, etc. I think wo can safely say that ii! a number of infectious diseases th. infection is introduced through tlie menial}. The- local inflammatory ..Sections are, cf course, due to some- local infection ; but even systematic infectious diseases, suoh as diphtheria, scarlatina, etc., aro frequently primarily caused by local infection of tha mouth. "Now, the tooth brush is, first of all, always loaded with micro-organisms. In order to make it aseptic it would' have to be submitted cither' to strong chemical germicides or to prolonged boiling, as some m.crobcs are extremely resisting, especially tho sporulcnt ones. The tooth-brush is spldom :f: f ever properly sterilised. It^ is simply rinsed in cold or hot water, which is altogether inadequate. "Then, too, the- brush is unusually stiff, the hairs c;et in between the teeth, eausingan abrasion of the gums, and thus one practically inoculates himself with microbes. If they happen to bo virulent ones they -will surely cause disease. For instarace, a nurse attending a case of diphtheria may have blown into her mouth some particle of tho patient's sputum loaded with microbes. She uses a tooth brush, which causes some abrasions of the mucous membrane, and thus inoculates herself with the disease." Dr Palier assures us that he has no objections to cleanliness, but he has a substitute for the- brush to vecommend. Here it is: — "I have- found chat for cleansing tho teeth aseptic absorbent cotton is best. A piece of cotton, about the size of a walnut, should ba taken, soaked in fresh water, and made- into a pledget, tooth powder put oji it, and, holding it between the thumb and index finger, the teeth thoroughlycleansed. It will bo a little awkward, of course, at first, but with a little experience one may easily manage it."