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308

SECTION II.

DYSPEPSIA PRODUCED BY A DISEASED STATE OF THE TEETH
AND GUMS.

There are three ways in which diseased teeth, and gums.
&c. may cause this distressing complaint.
Firstly,— By preventing a proper mastication of the food.
Secondly,—By the putrid and ulcerated matter which
passes from the teeth and gums along with the aliment of the
stomach.
And, Thirdly,—The irritation of a diseased tooth being often
so great as to disturb the healthy functions of the system, and
of the stomach in particular.
Firstly,— By preventing a proper mastication of the food.

Mastication is one of the first steps in that series of process-
es by which the food is rendered subservient to the purposes
of nourishing and supporting the animal system. It seems to
be an indispensable requisite that in order to the accomplish-
ment of healthy and speedy digestion that the food should be
reduced to very small pieces. It is an old proverb that food
well masticated is half digested.* This, with few excep-
tions, is an universal law of the animal economy The di-
gestive powers of the stomach act with much more facility
upon the food if finely comminuted, than if swallowed in
large pieces ; and, indeed, the practice of swallowing the
food in large pieces, in almost all cases, sooner or later pro-
duces dyspepsia and greatly weakens the powers of the
stomach. I need not enlarge upon this subject, for it is a
fact known to every scientific practitioner of medicine, that
the food must be perfectly masticated in order to be digest-
ed in a healthy manner ; and one of the first and indispensa-

* Fauchard, Vol. I, page 64.