OUR BABIES

Waipa Post, Volume 44, Issue 3181, 24 May 1932, Page 6

OUR BABIES

DIET AND DENTAL DISEASE.^ (By Sir F. Truby King, General President of the Plunket Society.) The next to the latest number of the British Medical Journal (March 19) contains a very important "Editorial" with the above heading. The article is based on two papers, published in the same issue, which, it points out, describe " two investigations dealing with very widely diverse circumstances, and yet the two results confirm each other in a remarkable manner.' " The more striking of. the two investigations gives the dental condition of the inhabitants of Tristan da Cunha. This community of about a hundred and sixty people is one of the most isolated in the world. They live under conditions very like those of Highland crofters, while the climate resembles the Cape. They are mostly of British or Dutch descent. " The use of toothbrushes is unknown in the island, but the teeth are almost perfect. Out of 156 mouths examined 130 were perfect The figures show that in the population examined 43 teeth had failed to erupt, 119 had been lost, 75 had become carious, and 3985 were perfect. There were only two cases of pyorrhoea, and neither of these inhabitants was island-born. No cases of rickets were observed among the children. "The outstanding peculiarity of the conditions of life of the Tristan islanders is that they are forced by circumstances to live on cereal-free diet. About the year 1885 rats were introduced on to the island, and ever since have prevented the growth of cereals. The staple food of the islanders is potatoes, fish, milk and eggs. This community therefore presents a large-scale,, long-distance experiment in dietetics and the results seem to be almost conclusive, for the dental condition of these people is utterly unlike that of any other community of the same race in the world. "The obvious variables that may influence the incidence of dental caries are dental hygiene, race, amount of sunlight, calcium supply, and diet. The Cape peninsula serves as a control, for here there is a community of the same race living on the sea coast in the same latitude as Tristan da Cunha. Dental caries is, however, at least as prevalent in the Cape as in Great Britain. Their peculiar diet appears to be the only explanation of the dental integrity of these islanders. As regards this diet, the fish, eggs, and milk would provide an abundant supply of vitamin D, but there are plenty of other seaboard populations that are similar in this respect and yet suffer from caries. Hence the dental condition .of this community appears to provide strong support for the theory advanced by Mellanby and Pattison—namely, that a cereal-free diet favours the normal development of the teeth." TRISTAN DA CUNHA. Dental Condition of the Islanders. — " During the recent visit of H.M.S. Carlisle to the island of Tristan da Cunha, Surgeon Commander (D.) W. E. A. Sampson, R.N., acting under the orders of the Commander-in-Chief of the Africa Station, carried out a detailed examination of the inhabitants of the island. The proposal to carry out this investigation emanated from the Dental Society of the Cape Province in 1924, and it will be noted that Mr J. R. A. Moore, L.D.S., and others associated with this inquiry,, were afforded the necessary facilities by the local naval authorities to visit the island. General Conditions on Tristan Da Cunha. —"The settlement is situated on the north-west side of the island, and occupies a grassy slope about one mile wide and nine miles long, stretching from the base of the mountains behind and sloping gradually toward the sea. The houses number about thirty, with a church and school, and are clustered together on the grassy slope. Running down between the houses are several streams. "Housing.—The houses-, are very like Scottish crofters' cottages. They are built of soft black stone hewn from the mountainside and dressed with adzes. The walls are made three to four feet thick at the bottom, the stones being cemented together with a mixture of ashes from the fire and water. The roof beams are made from tree trunks, and the roof thatched with flax or tussock grass, with sods of turf on the apex of roof. . . The living room and kitchen have large open fireplaces. The windows are small and not made to open, but in spite of this the ventilation is quite gOod, being effected by an almost permanently open door and the large fireplace. The houses are very clean inside.

" Population.—Total, 163: males 90, females 73. Springing from ancestors of English,, Scotch, Dutch, and St. Helena origin, the people naturally show a great divergence of type. . . They are quite an industrious community. The men are engaged in farming, fishing, boatbuilding, collecting penguin eggs, etc., while they

are expert at handling their boats, which are made of canvas. The women help on the potato patches, spin the wools to make stockings and sweaters, and do housework. "General Physique of the Islanders.—The medical examination shows the islanders to be of good physique, well nourished, and moderately clean. Among the children there is no evidence of rickets. The specific infective/ diseases—scarlatina, diphtheria, mumps, measles, whooping cough, etc.—are unknown. Colds sometimes occur after the visit of a ship, and some years (1929) an outbreak of influenza is reported to have occurred after the visit of the Suverie. "Dental Findings.—The dental examination has given some remarkable results. Our main object was to find out: (1) If dental caries is present among the inhabitants, and (2) if so to what extent. . . The incidence is amazingly low and unparalleled elsewhere. Every child examined was 4 breast fed/ and the infants are weaned at 12 to 15 months. No 'dummies' are used and no cases of thumb-suck-ing were noted. DIET OF THE ISLANDERS. " Flesh Food.—Fish is the main article in this category, and is their staple food. "Cereals.—No wheat is raised on the island, i " Potatoes.—These form, together with fish,, the staple food. '" Sugar.—Hardly ever used. "Green Vegetables. Some cabbages, turnips, etc., are grown, and used while they last. "Salt is scarce; they make it by evaporating sea water. They have no condiments. Tea, coffee, and cocoa are used sparingly. Alcohol is never used. " From the foregoing list it will be seen that the staple diet is fish and potatoes, the other articles being in the nature of luxuries. Therefore the diet is rich in carbohydrates and phosphates. "The results of the dental examination show the points of special interest to be: (1) The splendid condition of the mouths in age groups 1 to 5, 6 to 13, 14 to 21, and 22 to 32; (2) that the islanders are all breastfed in infancy; (3) that they never clean their teeth; (4) the large proportion of carbohydrate in their diet."