HEREDITY & ENVIRONMENT.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1797, 9 July 1913, Page 6

HEREDITY & ENVIRONMENT.

AND DENTAL DISEASE. A lecture, under the joint auspices of the Citv Council and the' Eugenics Education Society, was given in the Cbncert Chamber, Town Hall, last evening before a moderate attendance. Tho lecturer was Professor Pickerill, of tho Otago Xtedie.il School, and tho subject was "Heredity and Environment in Relation to Dental Deformities and Disease." llis Worship the Mayor (Jlr. J. I'. Luke) presided, and in introducing Professor Pickerill explained that the latter was the author of a standard work on the subject oa which hp was about to speak. In liis early remarks, the lecturer stated that tho heredity in relation to dental questions was a difficult matter to handle because of the practice of removing tho teeth, and because of the scant literature on the subjeot. By a series of hntern slides, which in the majority of cases illustrated his ow.n observations, ho showed how diseases and deformities of the teeth, when, once firmly established, passed down from geueration to generation. In other cases environment was responsible for ill-formed imouths and misplaced teeth, and the illustrations indicated only too clearly what an important bearing the milk teeth have on ultimate development of the dental organs. The lecturer deplored the apathy of the general bo:Lv of the people 011 tlie question, seeiiiJf that the mouth was tho gato to the system, and the teeth its portcullis. The better earo of the teeth' of the people was an uiteent necessity, but to adequately grapplo with thrt problem was beyond the dental profession. Tt was a matter for the State. At the conclusion of his address, Professor l'iokerill was heartily applauded, and, on the motion of Professor Ivirli, a vote of thanks was also extended to the Mayor for presiding.