OUR BABIES.

Taihape Daily Times, 10 June 1918, Page 6

OUR BABIES.

SCHOOL DENTAL EDUCATION Last week, in giving a summary of the Dunedin annual meeting, only a short reference was made to the care of the teeth. After the meeting Mr. Milner,. the principal speaker, said that he would have dealt more at length with the matter had time permitted, because he was so convinced of its paramount importance. Sinco then we Uavo received the following article written by Mr. Milner some years ago. We are glad to bo able to present the subject from, the point of' view of an eminent educationalist, but we trust that what Mr. Milner says will have a wide influence in driving home to parents and teachers alike the importance of preserving the chidren 's teeth.. THE DUTY OF TEACHERS. The pressure of modern competitive Civilisation makes us realise acutely the truth of Herbert Spencer's famous dictum—that the first requisite for success in life is to be a good animal. It is now widely recognised that the teacher's province comprises the whole physical education of the child. The normal development and / proper care of the teeth are essential ' fconditions of efficient school work. A 'merely negative attitude is an impossibility. It is a teacher's duty to give teound, clear, physiological information, to assist in the cleanliness of the teeth and mouth, and to ensure Jthis by feecuring proper /dental inspection Agitation and public discus-' «ion must inevitably lead to the administrative authorities taking this important matter up and putting it on a proper basis. / THE DANGERS INVOLVED.

There cannot be normal development and normal functioning of nose and respiratory organs without normal development of the teeth. Every exlamination of pupils' teeth 'discloses cases of imperfect alignment, loss of masticatory power, caries, nasal deformity, etc. Fully SO per cent. ■of our children suffer from dental decay and this grave defect is very frequently neglected, to the impairment of the whole physical vitality. One may imagine what a frightful mass of putrefaction this high percentage means in a single large school. Could ocular evidence of it be given, the ernug complacency of the public would get a rude shock. It cannot be too earnestly emphasised that dental decay is not a normal condition. Clean teeth very seldom decay. A child with a defective tooth is no more normal than one afflicted with pulmonary trouble. Teachers must accept some responsibility, and dispel this lamentable ignorance, Dental disease is the most prevaent of all diseases. Fully 80 per cent of children at the age of 12 show defective masticatory power, Parental ignorance is responsible for much of this trouble, No action is taken by parents until the agony of toothache compels attention. The us-

nal practice is then to insist on. an ' extraction irrespective of consequences ■Teachers must educate their charges ±o realise the -wonders of modern conservative dentistry and the effect of curative treatment of their liealth. PROPER NOURISHMENT. It is an arresting thought that within the tiny jaws of'a little child He buried half a hundred teeth. Their normal development should be an object of the highest care. It is very important that a mother should nurse ler own children at the breast, for it is during infancy that the right nourishment is a determining factor. Many a weakling develops into a strong man, "but corresponding improvement is never seen in the teeth. The crowns, when once built up, are finishecTTor ever. A poor and stunted infancy means weak teeth for after life. After the first year a child needs solid foo.]. A continuity cf semi-liquid or pap food often induces a habit of "bolting" with a train of digestive trouble. On the other hand, the provision of masticatory exercise on, say, a bone, helps the flow of blood to the jaws, aids their development, and contributes to the secretion of proper saliva.

INTELLIGENCE SERVICE. WHAT THE BRITISH KNEW. To illustrate the extraordinary cleverness of the British Intelligence Service, the German paper Norddeutsche tells a couple of excellent stories which it attributes to ex-prisoners. One German airship commander, taken prisoner by this country, but exchanged now and in Switzerland, sent the following report of experiences to

Germany:—"On the fourth day three officers from the War Office arrived for the purpose of interrogating me, one of them being Major Trench, who at one time was arrested for spying at Borkum. When I told these officers that I could not answer any questions, Major Trench remarked sarcastically, 'Then we will tell you something. He then read to me from a notebook my whole career, giving every detail concerning my taking over the airship, the exact period of leave on every occasion, every journey made, and its precise objective, with the dates even when the airships returned without having accomplished their object, and where they landed. He showed me a drawing of our new type of airshtp\ and asked me if I recognised my own ship. He told me the secret names of our airships, and stated that they were able to follow the various ships on their journeys l with the greatest ex-

actitude from their direction stations. I He also knew where the individual { ships were stationed, and when, how | [long, and for what reason an airship was laid up." Very similar testimony was given by the German non-commis-sioned officer of another airship. Not only did the British officers give them vail details about their own Tecord of 'service, but also the changes in the personnel of their ships. Photographs of the new sheds in and groups of officers at the new casino were also shown them. This non-commissioned officer was asked by one of the English examining officers whether he t remembered where he had been at . Friedrichshafen on a particular day. When he aiswered "nc-,"; i-he .officer told him he had been in;7Linda% , 'vand that he. the officer, had beenv ; fhere | himself and seen him. '• The "public | here will be glad" to get this unsolicit- ,' ed testimonial to the thoroughness 1 and alertness of the British naval and military authorities in a department in which it is (erroneously) supposed we are sometimes wanting. ■

I To the toiler for bread, by necessity ( led, j Life wends its monotonous way; I While the sun comcth up and the sun •goeth .down To measure f eaeh working day, His abiding care is the harvest a share While his powers for oil endure, And to loosen the hold of a cough or a cold, With Woodls' jGreat Pj'eppermi,nt Cure, P