Page 325 - My FlipBook

ACTION OF BACTERIA UPOX THE MUCOUS MEMBRANE. 297

him, the appetite is chiefly determined by the condition of the
mucous membrane of the tongue and of the oral and pharyngeal
cavities. When the tongue is clean, even fevering patients retain
their appetite, while, on the other hand, the digestive process may
go Oil perfectly while the appetite is impaired. This is proved
by the favorable results of stomach-feeding even of such patients
who are not able to take food on account of the retching produced
as soon as the attempt is made to swallow it.
The nausea is consequently not due to the stomach, but to the
diseased throat; and the antipathy to taking food, which is
caused by the condition of the throat, may be removed by fre-
quent disinfection of the oral and pharyngeal cavities.
"What far-reaching disturbances of the general health may be
obviated by the simple sterilization of the mouth is shown by
the following case: "A lady, fifty years old, who was afflicted
with a long-standing insufficiency of the aorta, but otherwise in
good health and enjoying a \'igorous digestion, began after a
heavy sorrow to lose her appetite, complained of cardialgia
(which set in after every meal), belching, and heartburn, until she
could take but slight liquid nourishment, and finally was com-
pelled to restrict herself to tea. Eepeated courses of treatment
with Carlsbad water brought but temporary relief. A disagree-
able odor from the mouth, especially in the morning, led me to
an examination, which revealed swelling and slight ulceration of
the gums ; besides this, the tongue was heavily coated and the
posterior wall of the pharynx somewhat inflamed. Frequent
syringing of the oral and pharyngeal cavities with the iodine-
myrrh tincture stopped the cardialgia in the course of a few
days, and restored the patient to her former appetite.
" As often as the patient, who has a great antipathy to medi-
cines, neglects the disinfection of her mouth for but a single
day, the always more or less hypersemic gums swell again and
the old digestive troubles recommence. I have been able now
for seven years to watch this play of stomach-complaints in the
wake of recrudescent inflammation of the gums."
The connection between bacterial growths in the mouth and
severe disturbances of general health is furthermore exemplified
by the following case, which occurred a short time ago in my