Page 326 - My FlipBook

298 THE MICRO-ORGANISMS OF THE HUMAN MOUTH.

own practice : The patient, forty-five years of age, had com-
plained for months of severe pains caused by eating or even
speaking, of loss of appetite, indigestion, disordered stomach, etc.
These troubles became so burdensome that the patient declared
that life had become insupportable. She showed me two
envelopes filled with prescriptions both for internal and external
use. One glance into her mouth, the odor emitted from it, and
the concomitant inflammation and suppuration of the gums, sug-
gested intense fermentative processes. The cleansing of the
oral cavity, as well as the use of antiseptic and astringent mouth-
washes, caused such a pronounced improvement in a fortnight
that the patient could not often enough express her thanks. In
this case the source of the trouble was so apparent that I cannot
understand why it had not been discovered before.
We frequently meet with persons who, as von Kaczorowski
correctly says, carry such filth in their mouths as they would
never tolerate on the skin. The physician who must insert his
finger into such a mouth is sometimes well-nigh overcome with
disgust; the fcetor ex ore is insuflferable, the teeth are covered
with a thick deposit in a state of active fermentation, the gums
intensely reddened, inflamed, suppurating, and where decayed
roots are present, which is usually the case, chronic abscesses
produced by them continually discharge suppurative and putre-
factive products into the oral cavity ; and with all this they still
expect to enjoy good health ! Such patients travel from one
bathing-place to another, naturally without finding any relief,
whereas the only journey necessary would be to the next hydrant,
and tlie only remedy a strong tooth-brush and a disinfecting
tooth-wash, or, at most, a visit to the dentist.
That the relation existing between an unclean mouth and
other complaints has not been long ago and repeatedly empha-
sized is explained by the fact that the mouth as a source of dis-
eases has been very much underrated, as the case just cited most
clearly demonstrates.