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77
for a child to be healthy who is constantly swallowing pus
and poisoned matter. Though this is not in sufficient quantity
to produce actual disease, it produces a state of chronic ill.
health and inability of the child to use its faculties to the
best advantage. Then there arc frequent losses of odd
attendances from toothache, swollen face, etc. As well there
is the wider aspect of these children being unable to
masticate their food properly, and therefore being unable to
obtain the necessary nourishment for development and
growth. Someone has said " An Army marches on its
teeth." It will be impossible for future Englishmen to
march far to victory unless something is done to stop this
deterioration. It is not so easy to evolve a workable scheme
to deal with this question, and I am at present engaged in
collecting facts to see what can be done, with a view to
submitting the matter for your consideration.
The following points have to be thought of:—
(1) The question of food.
(2) The provision of some method of treatment of
defects at a reasonable cost and easy of access.
(3) The education of the parent and child to realise
the importance of the subject and to take an
interest in the preservation of the teeth.
(4) The financial position of the parent and the
ability to use the opportunities offered.
EYES.
Next in order in the percentage of physical defects found
comes the question of eyes, and during the year I submitted
the following suggestion as regards treatment of these
defects:—