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Savage Beauty*
Stein— Savage Beauty my feeling about the old Cowper opera tion and treatm ent can best be expressed by quoting Voorhees1 who describes' it as “the worst operation in surgery, con verting a simple condition into a chronic suppuration.” T h e oral condition having been cared for, in the m ajority of cases, unless we are dealing w ith chronic in fection of long standing, the antrum will respond to treatm ent by aeration and maintenance of natural drainage; or, if necessary, on account of persistence of symptoms, to washing. O nly rarely, and owing to abnormal blocking of the ostia, have I found it necessary to 1. Voorhees, I. W. : Laryngoscope, 37:431432 (June) 1927.
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make an additional drainage opening through the antral w all under the in ferior turbinate; the so-called M ickulicz operation. O f course, in those cases which show no response to these simple measures, radical operation may be necessary. In such cases, the operation of preference is the Denker, as it gives an excellent op portunity to eliminate all pathologic conditions, and the final step in the procedure, the placing of the flap of nasal mucosa on the denuded floor of the antrum , hastens the ultimate re covering of the walls with normal mucosa, as well as insuring the persist ence of the artificial opening.
SAVAGE BEAUTY* By HAROLD STEIN, San Francisco, Calif.
I
T is in the A ustralian bush. N ig h t’s star-studded canopy melts all objects into a soft whole w ithout detail. Somewhere a drum beats. Deep in the forest, another answers. Seated in the darkness in a great circle are many peo ple come to witness the last phase of the initiatory rites of the tribe. T hey are silent; silent w ith an almost audible sense of expectancy. From out of the darkness steps a wrinkled old man. T h e circle opens to let him through. He squats by a pile of brush arranged to make a fire. O u t of an old bag fashioned of animal skin, he takes a slab of wood and a long spindle-shaped stick. T h e stick tw irls between the palms of his two supple hands — faster — faster — faster. *A brief study of nonprophylactic m utila tion of teeth atflong primitive peoples. Jour. A . D. A ., July, 1933
Smoke comes. Fire comes. T he miracle of recreating the life-giving sun heat has come to pass. T h e pile of faggots is ignited. Flames leap up. Faces appear out of the darkness. T hey assume indi viduality but no expression. Only ex pectation. Flattened hands beat upon taut drumheads. Again the answer from the forest. T his time closer. Ever closer. A procession comes. Guided by the older men in charge of the rites come twelve adolescent boys. T hey are nude, yet covered with gray ashes which cling to their hair, which, attached to their eyebrows and lashes, create a queer spec tacle-like effect. T hey march around the fire, the utter silence broken only by the drum-beats now amplified by He W ho Drum med in the Darkness.
1272
The Journal of the American D ental Association
T hey lay down, radiating from the fire. T h e witch doctor kneels over the first lad from behind. H e draws back his upper lip and places a blunt wedge of hardwood against a tooth. Beats on the wedge w ith a mallet. Slow, method ical blows. T h e tooth loosens. Is lifted out for all to see. Is then tossed far off into the outer darkness. T h e w itch doc tor goes on to the next initiate. H is first patient shudders slightly. G reat beads of perspiration mingled with dirt and ashes trickle down his face to mix w ith the blood-stained froth at the juncture of his lips; but w hat matters it all? H e is a M a n — has passed his last test. And while his heart pounds w ith the joy of it all, he hears the methodical, madden ing slow beating of the medicine m an’s mallet on the tooth of the next lad. . . . T h e nonprophylactic m utilation or decoration of teeth is a part of the initia tory rites of many primitive peoples, widely distributed over the surface of the earth. Africa, Polynesia, Australia, N ew G uinea and the Philippine Islands have contributed to our knowledge of this to us needless and harm ful practice. T h e purpose of this brief discussion will be to set forw ard a few facts and con clusions which may throw a little light on a most interesting subject. M utilation, while not always of reli gious significance, has been found to fol low along certain quite definite lines. Schroeder established seven principal forms of m utilation: Simple pointing of the teeth. Filing of the teeth, forming gaps and prongs. Removing the teeth. H orizontal filing of the teeth or re moval of the crown. Dyeing of the teeth. Adorning the teeth w ith metal or stone inlays.
Changing the position of the teeth. Among peoples practicing mutilation as a part of the puberty rite^, the first three practices are common. T h eir ori gin is obscure, but it may well be as sumed that the simple pointing and the more radical filing had their foundation in the testing of courage, the initiate suf fering great pain w ithout any outward indications of his suffering and, in the creating of a fierce appearance, following the reasoning line that, as the beasts of the jungle have sharp fangs, by that same token he who has sharp fangs w ill be endowed with the animal’s qualities of courage, cunning and endurance. Complete removal tested courage and had its roots in the widespread belief of substitution. T he extracted tooth was either worn by the initiate as an amulet, proof of proven and demonstrated sto icism, or was flung into the woods in the hope that a wild beast' would devour it, thereby endowing the former owner of the tooth with its own qualities. W e are not so very civilized ourselves. I well remember an incident from my own childhood: A tooth fell out and my old-country nurse threw it into a dark recess of an attic saying: “ N ah, then, the rats w ill eat ’im up and you, manny, shall have fine, strong, w hite teeth like yon rats.” Causes contributing to tooth m utila tion entirely apart from those connected with ceremonial rites are those which are founded in the desire for self decoration and adornment. I t is difficult for us to appreciate the beauty of horribly mis shapen teeth, discolored and stumpy. W e have, after years of habituation and edu cation, come to regard straight, white, well-kept teeth as a mark of health and beauty, and so it is difficult for us to understand a diametrically opposed point of view. T h a t which to us appears nor
1273
Stein— Savage Beauty mal and beautiful is to many primitives abnormal and ugly, and vice versa. T o the savage, there is beauty in a series of pointed, jagged teeth, pronged or painted a brilliant ebony. T h e man w ith sound teeth is regarded more or less as an out cast. I quote from a recent article in the National Geographic M agazine: Practically all of the Bataks file their teeth upon reaching maturity. W ith a great many the teeth are chipped off to the level of the gums. Presumably the practise enhances beauty to B atak eyes. T h e unsightliness of the mouth to western eyes is further empha sized by the chewing of quantities of blood red betel nut. In the open market place the native den tist does his work, with the patient lying at full length on his back on the ground. A mallet and chisel, a file and a small saw are his implements; with these he chips and files the teeth down . . . the teeth are sharpened for a few cents each.
T h e dyeing and discoloration of teeth has direct sexual significance and is a widespread custom, frequently sur rounded by strict taboos. M argareth Matches, w riting of N ew Guinea, de scribes the process of blackening the teeth as follows: T he constituents used are taw al, a soil containing sulphur, and talis, a pungent leaf. These are baked separately, w rapped in leaves and mixed together, the mixture re sembling coal tar. Cooling hardens it a little and it is then spread on a leaf of a size to cover the teeth. It is placed over the outside of the upper and lower rows of teeth. T he native undergoing this beautifi cation can eat nothing for three days, nor can he talk. T he taw al sets like enamel and glistens like polished enamel or ebony. D uring the days of taw al setting the initiate is kept in confinement, and no woman may look upon him. . . .
Among the Kalingas of the Philippines, blackening of the teeth is done in groups of both sexes who mutually assist each other. T h e kin of the opposite sex may not be present at or witness this cere mony, which is protected by strong taboos. F urther decoration is sometimes ac complished by the women of the Benguet tribe, who adorn themselves with a gold shield placed in front of their teeth on festive occasions. C O N C L U S IO N
M utilation of teeth among primitive peoples is a custom leading back to the beginning of mankind. I t is undertaken as a part of the initiatory rites denoting the passage of the boy from adolescence into manhood, in order to test his cour age, endow him w ith supernatural quali ties and visibly mark him as being a man. Decorating of teeth, as painting with black materials, has secondary sexual significance and is considered a mark of beauty. I t is a widespread custom and is often surrounded by strong taboos. T h e two practices, m utilation and dec oration, overlap in their meaning, but their function is primarily as described. T h e consequence of these radical meas ures should be evident to any student of dental pathology. T h e primitive man is rendered beautiful or demonstrates his bravery at a great price, payable through a lifetime of illness and suffering, but being unable to associate effect with cause, he carries on the vicious chain of custom through generation after genera tion, unconsciously, yet certainly, weak ening the strain of his race.
1271
make an additional drainage opening through the antral w all under the in ferior turbinate; the so-called M ickulicz operation. O f course, in those cases which show no response to these simple measures, radical operation may be necessary. In such cases, the operation of preference is the Denker, as it gives an excellent op portunity to eliminate all pathologic conditions, and the final step in the procedure, the placing of the flap of nasal mucosa on the denuded floor of the antrum , hastens the ultimate re covering of the walls with normal mucosa, as well as insuring the persist ence of the artificial opening.
SAVAGE BEAUTY* By HAROLD STEIN, San Francisco, Calif.
I
T is in the A ustralian bush. N ig h t’s star-studded canopy melts all objects into a soft whole w ithout detail. Somewhere a drum beats. Deep in the forest, another answers. Seated in the darkness in a great circle are many peo ple come to witness the last phase of the initiatory rites of the tribe. T hey are silent; silent w ith an almost audible sense of expectancy. From out of the darkness steps a wrinkled old man. T h e circle opens to let him through. He squats by a pile of brush arranged to make a fire. O u t of an old bag fashioned of animal skin, he takes a slab of wood and a long spindle-shaped stick. T h e stick tw irls between the palms of his two supple hands — faster — faster — faster. *A brief study of nonprophylactic m utila tion of teeth atflong primitive peoples. Jour. A . D. A ., July, 1933
Smoke comes. Fire comes. T he miracle of recreating the life-giving sun heat has come to pass. T h e pile of faggots is ignited. Flames leap up. Faces appear out of the darkness. T hey assume indi viduality but no expression. Only ex pectation. Flattened hands beat upon taut drumheads. Again the answer from the forest. T his time closer. Ever closer. A procession comes. Guided by the older men in charge of the rites come twelve adolescent boys. T hey are nude, yet covered with gray ashes which cling to their hair, which, attached to their eyebrows and lashes, create a queer spec tacle-like effect. T hey march around the fire, the utter silence broken only by the drum-beats now amplified by He W ho Drum med in the Darkness.
1272
The Journal of the American D ental Association
T hey lay down, radiating from the fire. T h e witch doctor kneels over the first lad from behind. H e draws back his upper lip and places a blunt wedge of hardwood against a tooth. Beats on the wedge w ith a mallet. Slow, method ical blows. T h e tooth loosens. Is lifted out for all to see. Is then tossed far off into the outer darkness. T h e w itch doc tor goes on to the next initiate. H is first patient shudders slightly. G reat beads of perspiration mingled with dirt and ashes trickle down his face to mix w ith the blood-stained froth at the juncture of his lips; but w hat matters it all? H e is a M a n — has passed his last test. And while his heart pounds w ith the joy of it all, he hears the methodical, madden ing slow beating of the medicine m an’s mallet on the tooth of the next lad. . . . T h e nonprophylactic m utilation or decoration of teeth is a part of the initia tory rites of many primitive peoples, widely distributed over the surface of the earth. Africa, Polynesia, Australia, N ew G uinea and the Philippine Islands have contributed to our knowledge of this to us needless and harm ful practice. T h e purpose of this brief discussion will be to set forw ard a few facts and con clusions which may throw a little light on a most interesting subject. M utilation, while not always of reli gious significance, has been found to fol low along certain quite definite lines. Schroeder established seven principal forms of m utilation: Simple pointing of the teeth. Filing of the teeth, forming gaps and prongs. Removing the teeth. H orizontal filing of the teeth or re moval of the crown. Dyeing of the teeth. Adorning the teeth w ith metal or stone inlays.
Changing the position of the teeth. Among peoples practicing mutilation as a part of the puberty rite^, the first three practices are common. T h eir ori gin is obscure, but it may well be as sumed that the simple pointing and the more radical filing had their foundation in the testing of courage, the initiate suf fering great pain w ithout any outward indications of his suffering and, in the creating of a fierce appearance, following the reasoning line that, as the beasts of the jungle have sharp fangs, by that same token he who has sharp fangs w ill be endowed with the animal’s qualities of courage, cunning and endurance. Complete removal tested courage and had its roots in the widespread belief of substitution. T he extracted tooth was either worn by the initiate as an amulet, proof of proven and demonstrated sto icism, or was flung into the woods in the hope that a wild beast' would devour it, thereby endowing the former owner of the tooth with its own qualities. W e are not so very civilized ourselves. I well remember an incident from my own childhood: A tooth fell out and my old-country nurse threw it into a dark recess of an attic saying: “ N ah, then, the rats w ill eat ’im up and you, manny, shall have fine, strong, w hite teeth like yon rats.” Causes contributing to tooth m utila tion entirely apart from those connected with ceremonial rites are those which are founded in the desire for self decoration and adornment. I t is difficult for us to appreciate the beauty of horribly mis shapen teeth, discolored and stumpy. W e have, after years of habituation and edu cation, come to regard straight, white, well-kept teeth as a mark of health and beauty, and so it is difficult for us to understand a diametrically opposed point of view. T h a t which to us appears nor
1273
Stein— Savage Beauty mal and beautiful is to many primitives abnormal and ugly, and vice versa. T o the savage, there is beauty in a series of pointed, jagged teeth, pronged or painted a brilliant ebony. T h e man w ith sound teeth is regarded more or less as an out cast. I quote from a recent article in the National Geographic M agazine: Practically all of the Bataks file their teeth upon reaching maturity. W ith a great many the teeth are chipped off to the level of the gums. Presumably the practise enhances beauty to B atak eyes. T h e unsightliness of the mouth to western eyes is further empha sized by the chewing of quantities of blood red betel nut. In the open market place the native den tist does his work, with the patient lying at full length on his back on the ground. A mallet and chisel, a file and a small saw are his implements; with these he chips and files the teeth down . . . the teeth are sharpened for a few cents each.
T h e dyeing and discoloration of teeth has direct sexual significance and is a widespread custom, frequently sur rounded by strict taboos. M argareth Matches, w riting of N ew Guinea, de scribes the process of blackening the teeth as follows: T he constituents used are taw al, a soil containing sulphur, and talis, a pungent leaf. These are baked separately, w rapped in leaves and mixed together, the mixture re sembling coal tar. Cooling hardens it a little and it is then spread on a leaf of a size to cover the teeth. It is placed over the outside of the upper and lower rows of teeth. T he native undergoing this beautifi cation can eat nothing for three days, nor can he talk. T he taw al sets like enamel and glistens like polished enamel or ebony. D uring the days of taw al setting the initiate is kept in confinement, and no woman may look upon him. . . .
Among the Kalingas of the Philippines, blackening of the teeth is done in groups of both sexes who mutually assist each other. T h e kin of the opposite sex may not be present at or witness this cere mony, which is protected by strong taboos. F urther decoration is sometimes ac complished by the women of the Benguet tribe, who adorn themselves with a gold shield placed in front of their teeth on festive occasions. C O N C L U S IO N
M utilation of teeth among primitive peoples is a custom leading back to the beginning of mankind. I t is undertaken as a part of the initiatory rites denoting the passage of the boy from adolescence into manhood, in order to test his cour age, endow him w ith supernatural quali ties and visibly mark him as being a man. Decorating of teeth, as painting with black materials, has secondary sexual significance and is considered a mark of beauty. I t is a widespread custom and is often surrounded by strong taboos. T h e two practices, m utilation and dec oration, overlap in their meaning, but their function is primarily as described. T h e consequence of these radical meas ures should be evident to any student of dental pathology. T h e primitive man is rendered beautiful or demonstrates his bravery at a great price, payable through a lifetime of illness and suffering, but being unable to associate effect with cause, he carries on the vicious chain of custom through generation after genera tion, unconsciously, yet certainly, weak ening the strain of his race.