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Lamarck-Darwinism and dental disease
318:
PUBLIC H E A L T H .
inspection for evidence of chronic d i s c h a r g e s i s invariably perforlned. In no instance shonld a midwife be p e r m i t t e d to a t t e n d puerperal women when such a disc h a r g e is p r e s e n t ; and the midwife m i g h t well be compelled to notify such disability at its c o m m e n c e m e n t to the local s u p e r v i s i n g a u t h o r i t y w h o should satisfy t h e m s e l v e s t h a t suitable t r e a t ment is 13eing obtained and t h a t a d e q u a t e precautions are being t a k e n to prevent undue risks a m o n g s t her patients, r e m e m b e r i n g t h a t of all the causes of m a t e r n a l d e a t h s d u r i n g the puerperjure, sepsis claims the l a r g e s t p e r c e n t a g e and it is the m o s t easily eliminated cause. P r a c t i c e has shown t h a t the preventive m e a s u r e s indicated by the M i n i s t r y can only satisfactorily follow c o m p u l s o r y notification and this a p p e a r s to be the n a t u r a l corollary to the issue of the pamphlet.
LAMARCK-DARwINISM AND DENTAL DISEASE.
O r a n Starr, D . D . S . , L . D . S . Routledge. 21s.
Bv
pp. 319, 8vo.
The p u r p o s e of this w o r k is to show that dental disease is the direct result of the action of man in neglect of evolutionary l a w ; and, further, that the l a m e n t a b l e condition of the teeth in modern civilised man m i g h t have been definitely predicted by any one a c q u a i n t e d with certain l a w s of evolution which g o v e r n the d e v e l o p m e n t of teeth as well as other structures. The a u t h o r in fact tells us t h a t " the t h o u g h t t h r o u g h this b o o k from first to last is t h a t every phys.iological action, every a n a t o m i c a l structure, and every c h a r a c t e r i s t i c of living s u b s t a n c e is, or will be, explicable by L a m a r c k - D a r w i n i s m with obvious a d v a n t a g e s to hygiene and h e a l t h . " The w o r k falls n a t u r a l l y into two parts, of which the first is concerned exclusively with evolution and evolutionary laws. W e soon find that the w r i t e r has a s t r o n g L a m a r c k i a n bias and is an upholder of the d e b a t a b l e t h e o r y of the h e r e d i t a r y t r a n s m i s s i o n of acquired c h a r a c t e r i s tics. The second p a r t deals with dental disease, t h e influence of food, and prevention. There is n o t h i n g p a r t i c u l a r l y n e w in the idea set forth that the dental disease which afflicts m a n k i n d is due to the absence from d i e t a r y of such hard, tough, or fibrous s u b s t a n c e s as will effect a natural cleansing of teeth and g u m s d u r i n g the necessary m a s t i c a t o r y efforts to dispose of them, or t h a t such m a s t i c a t o r y efforts benefit in y o u n g subjects the g r o w t h of the jaws. The view that, to put it concisely, modern dental disease " has
JuLy,
its origin in the c o o k i n g pot " is one now g e n e r a l l y adopted, t h o u g h only of late years. Good service, however, is u n d o u b t e d l y clone by d i r e c t i n g attentiou to these points, as well as to the special selection of such foods as have p r o b a b l y served the human race .during its evolution into b e i n g s eupeptic and s o u n d - t o o t h e d , if savage. VVe note, incidentally, that the s e p a r a t e entity of the vitamines is denied, and t h a t " ancestro-pabules~" as the a u t h o r p r o p o s e s to call them, are " relationships between the cellular tissue of a living o r g a n ism and the e n e r g y - c h a r g e d vital c o m p o u n d s contained in the f o o d . " F o r the c h a p t e r on P r e v e n t i o n the a u t h o r reveals himself as an o u t - a n d - o u t F o o d R e f o r m e r , a position requiring some o p t i m i s m in a civillsed society of fixed g a s t r o n o m i c habits, in which the repairs and s u b s t i t u t e s of the dentist tend to obscure views of essential causes, and to which the claims of p o s t e r i t y to a dentition at alt m a y m a k e small appeal. The b o o k is w r i t t e n with obvious sincerity and c o n v i c t i o n ; m i n o r blemishes are the i r r i t a t i n g recurrence of the verb " to s e n s e , " and here and there inelegant and even revolting p h r a s e o l o g y adopted a p p a r e n t l y for emphasis. T h e b o o k is well g o t up, and we can recommend it to all interested in this branch ¢)f health \VOI'k.
Corr¢spOlld¢ll¢¢. The Editor does not accept responsibility [or the opinions o[ correspondents.
THE
CONTROI. OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES.
7'0 the Editor of " Public Health." S i r , - - P o s s i b l y o t h e r s than myself were disa p p o i n t e d with the discussion on the above subject held at the house of the Society of Medical Oftieers of Health, on March 20th. T h e r e is n o t h i n g t h a t is new which e m e r g e s f r o m the discussion. T h e f u r b i s h i n g up of an old idea in new • clothing does not constitute an advance, however effective the disguise of w o r d s mav be. E x c e p t for the more recent w o r k that has been done in A m e r i c a on d i p h t h e r i a and scarlet fever our information in r e g a r d t o - t h e a e t i o l o g y of the infectious diseases has been at a standstill for m a n y y e a r s - - I had a l m o s t said from the time of S y d e n h a m . Chicken p o x and measles are still
PUBLIC H E A L T H .
inspection for evidence of chronic d i s c h a r g e s i s invariably perforlned. In no instance shonld a midwife be p e r m i t t e d to a t t e n d puerperal women when such a disc h a r g e is p r e s e n t ; and the midwife m i g h t well be compelled to notify such disability at its c o m m e n c e m e n t to the local s u p e r v i s i n g a u t h o r i t y w h o should satisfy t h e m s e l v e s t h a t suitable t r e a t ment is 13eing obtained and t h a t a d e q u a t e precautions are being t a k e n to prevent undue risks a m o n g s t her patients, r e m e m b e r i n g t h a t of all the causes of m a t e r n a l d e a t h s d u r i n g the puerperjure, sepsis claims the l a r g e s t p e r c e n t a g e and it is the m o s t easily eliminated cause. P r a c t i c e has shown t h a t the preventive m e a s u r e s indicated by the M i n i s t r y can only satisfactorily follow c o m p u l s o r y notification and this a p p e a r s to be the n a t u r a l corollary to the issue of the pamphlet.
LAMARCK-DARwINISM AND DENTAL DISEASE.
O r a n Starr, D . D . S . , L . D . S . Routledge. 21s.
Bv
pp. 319, 8vo.
The p u r p o s e of this w o r k is to show that dental disease is the direct result of the action of man in neglect of evolutionary l a w ; and, further, that the l a m e n t a b l e condition of the teeth in modern civilised man m i g h t have been definitely predicted by any one a c q u a i n t e d with certain l a w s of evolution which g o v e r n the d e v e l o p m e n t of teeth as well as other structures. The a u t h o r in fact tells us t h a t " the t h o u g h t t h r o u g h this b o o k from first to last is t h a t every phys.iological action, every a n a t o m i c a l structure, and every c h a r a c t e r i s t i c of living s u b s t a n c e is, or will be, explicable by L a m a r c k - D a r w i n i s m with obvious a d v a n t a g e s to hygiene and h e a l t h . " The w o r k falls n a t u r a l l y into two parts, of which the first is concerned exclusively with evolution and evolutionary laws. W e soon find that the w r i t e r has a s t r o n g L a m a r c k i a n bias and is an upholder of the d e b a t a b l e t h e o r y of the h e r e d i t a r y t r a n s m i s s i o n of acquired c h a r a c t e r i s tics. The second p a r t deals with dental disease, t h e influence of food, and prevention. There is n o t h i n g p a r t i c u l a r l y n e w in the idea set forth that the dental disease which afflicts m a n k i n d is due to the absence from d i e t a r y of such hard, tough, or fibrous s u b s t a n c e s as will effect a natural cleansing of teeth and g u m s d u r i n g the necessary m a s t i c a t o r y efforts to dispose of them, or t h a t such m a s t i c a t o r y efforts benefit in y o u n g subjects the g r o w t h of the jaws. The view that, to put it concisely, modern dental disease " has
JuLy,
its origin in the c o o k i n g pot " is one now g e n e r a l l y adopted, t h o u g h only of late years. Good service, however, is u n d o u b t e d l y clone by d i r e c t i n g attentiou to these points, as well as to the special selection of such foods as have p r o b a b l y served the human race .during its evolution into b e i n g s eupeptic and s o u n d - t o o t h e d , if savage. VVe note, incidentally, that the s e p a r a t e entity of the vitamines is denied, and t h a t " ancestro-pabules~" as the a u t h o r p r o p o s e s to call them, are " relationships between the cellular tissue of a living o r g a n ism and the e n e r g y - c h a r g e d vital c o m p o u n d s contained in the f o o d . " F o r the c h a p t e r on P r e v e n t i o n the a u t h o r reveals himself as an o u t - a n d - o u t F o o d R e f o r m e r , a position requiring some o p t i m i s m in a civillsed society of fixed g a s t r o n o m i c habits, in which the repairs and s u b s t i t u t e s of the dentist tend to obscure views of essential causes, and to which the claims of p o s t e r i t y to a dentition at alt m a y m a k e small appeal. The b o o k is w r i t t e n with obvious sincerity and c o n v i c t i o n ; m i n o r blemishes are the i r r i t a t i n g recurrence of the verb " to s e n s e , " and here and there inelegant and even revolting p h r a s e o l o g y adopted a p p a r e n t l y for emphasis. T h e b o o k is well g o t up, and we can recommend it to all interested in this branch ¢)f health \VOI'k.
Corr¢spOlld¢ll¢¢. The Editor does not accept responsibility [or the opinions o[ correspondents.
THE
CONTROI. OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES.
7'0 the Editor of " Public Health." S i r , - - P o s s i b l y o t h e r s than myself were disa p p o i n t e d with the discussion on the above subject held at the house of the Society of Medical Oftieers of Health, on March 20th. T h e r e is n o t h i n g t h a t is new which e m e r g e s f r o m the discussion. T h e f u r b i s h i n g up of an old idea in new • clothing does not constitute an advance, however effective the disguise of w o r d s mav be. E x c e p t for the more recent w o r k that has been done in A m e r i c a on d i p h t h e r i a and scarlet fever our information in r e g a r d t o - t h e a e t i o l o g y of the infectious diseases has been at a standstill for m a n y y e a r s - - I had a l m o s t said from the time of S y d e n h a m . Chicken p o x and measles are still