HEALTH IN THE HOME.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1633, 4 November 1916, Page 4

HEALTH IN THE HOME.

VALUF OF MASTICATION. A well-known doctor attributes the prevalence of dental decay in our times largely to general alimentary eni eeblement, especially [loverly oi the salivary secretion. Savage races have large jaw hones, and powerful muscles attached to them, which have to he liberally used in chewing their crude and undressed food, and as the movement of tho jaw muscles stimulates the secretion ot saliva they have a copious supply of that (laid. But the progress of (he culinary art has steadily made food softer and more pulpy, and so the jaw muscles been called upon to exert themselves as vigorously as formerly, and have so perhaps failed to urge the salivary glands (o tall functional activity. But saliva is the best lubricant tor the teeth; hence, perhaps, in some degree, the tine preservation of the teeth in savages, and if is also mechanically protective to the stomach by aiding in the breaking up of the food and wrapping it in Hs mucus, while it chemically assists digestion by reducing the starchy constituents of the food to soluble form. Any diminution in the quantity of the saliva, or the deters

ioration of its qualify must be injurious to Ihe teeth and to later digest ive operations.

MEDICAL HINTS. Although when one is ill it is very proper to seek medical aid without, delay, and at the beginning id' the illness, there are various tilth' medicines that one may keep among one's belongings for the little troubles that tire certain to come and which can be easily treated. For Ihe person who sutlers from indigestion there is to be taken, whenever it may be needed, the creamy mixture of sulphur and treacle. This will clear the eyes, make the skin white ami firm, and, unless the (rouble should be of long’ standing, pul the stomach in good condition. A something that is also recommended for slight indigestion is the drinking, just before breakfast, of a glass of tepid water in which a teaspoonful of ordinary table salt, has been dissolved. Then, of course, among your medicines will be—and, by the bye, it is rather odd to count it a medicine —a rubber bag which will hold plenty of hot water, and which is used to warm your feel, or to draw away the pain from any part of your body which can be soothed by litis heal. If you have a slight inclination to rheumatism, keep two small llanuel bags tilled with coar.*o salt, and when the pain first comes heal these by putting them in the oven, and then lay them where the pain is worst. As they give a very dry heat they are to be preferred to that which comes from the hot-water bag for either rheumatism or neuralgia. In a small bottle is myrrh, for you will use a few drops of this in the water with which you rinse your mouth, making it taste well and smell sweet. Very often the lies! medicine is a day of rest. We do not mean an idle day; we mean one when one deliberately goes to bed, if possible, sleeping most of the time, but til least not talking, and certainly, as Tar as possible, not thinking about one’s worries.