LECTURE BY DR PICKERILI.

Otago Witness, Issue 2895, 8 September 1909, Page 32

LECTURE BY DR PICKERILI.

The lecture given by Dr H. P. PickertH on "Teeth, Ancient and Modern," in the Moray Place Congregational Church H.ul on. the 6th was only moderately; attended, but great interest' was evinced in what the lecturer had to say- ' Dr i^ickerell commenced by referring to the teeth of the ancients, which were apparently very much sounder than those of the people of modern "timos. '■*•- He* gave amusing examples of the treatment of dental troubles as far back as 400 b.c and in 900 a.d. Coming -to modern times, ha said we found that the teeth of civilised people had be ?ome worse . -and this had occurred in the proportion to the extent to which civilisation had advanced. He referred to chiliron in particular,,, and said that 90 per cent, were afflicted with dental disease of some form or other. In -the past the percentage was only 7, -8, or 10.-, This change in the condition of the teeth ran parallel with civilisation, arid he had. no hesitation in saying that the change -was due to a change in- the character of lour diet — of our foodstuffs. For if we "examined carefully into the primitive existence of savage races we would -find that their diet consisted of simple foodstuffs, taken very much in the condition in which Nature gave it to them. Their food uuderwent very little- cooking, whereas nowadays it seemed the aim to render the food as little like the original article as possible. As an example he mentioned that it, was only the 'centre part of wheat that was now retained and ground down into flour. Our diet had become luxurious, had become soft and #weet, and our teeth were not used for' the- purpose for which Nature intended-them. Thft^result was they had degenerated for want of exercise, and any part that, degenerated was open to the force of disease- Oar diet was composed too much of sweet, soft, sticky foods. The use of sugar had become an abuse, and its abuso arose in connection with sweetmeats, which, when they nume in contact with the teeth, remained there instead of being swallowed. This class of food was canable of fermentation, and formed acid, which, he proceeded to illustrate" by means of the blackboard, dissolved the enamel and limesalt, of which the teeth were composed, and lotted the' teeth The nerve became exposed and pain followed, and if matters were allowed to proceed microbes worked their way down the nerve, and set up abscesses or gumboils. A hearty vote of thanks was passed to Dr Pickerill for his lecture.